Synopsis: Provincial authorities dismantle multiple cyber fraud hubs in a sweeping dragnet.
Authorities in Banteay Meanchey have launched a sweeping crackdown on online scam operations, arresting thousands of foreigners and dismantling multiple suspected fraud hubs across the province, officials said.
The operation, led by the provincial administration’s unified command under Governor Um Reatrey and coordinated with prosecutors, targetted buildings suspected of housing technology-based scam activities, particularly in Poipet City.
Provincial authorities formed a joint task force led by deputy governors Prak Poly and Liem Suda, working alongside police, military police, and agencies.
The operations were carried out under the legal oversight of provincial court prosecutors.
The crackdown follows directives issued by the government, including a July 2025 order to eliminate online scams and a January 2026 sub-decree on managing security in congested residential areas.
Since March 12, authorities have raided at least five locations suspected of hosting scam operations, arresting 3,853 foreigners—most of them Chinese, according to the provincial administration.
The provincial task force also arrested 161 Chinese suspects in three more locations.
The government has ramped up its crackdown on online scams in recent months to dismantle syndicates.
On April 23, Prime Minister Hun Manet praised authorities and armed forces for their efforts and ordered that the crackdown continue without pause. The government rejected suggestions that operations would slow after the Khmer New Year, insisting enforcement would remain rigorous.
He ordered a continued nationwide crackdown, stressing that enforcement would remain strict and uninterrupted, including during national holidays.
From July last year to mid-April 2026, authorities in Phnom Penh and across the provinces raided more than 250 online scam locations, leading to the closure of 91 casino sites used as fronts for illicit activities.
During the same period, 112 cases involving 1,089 suspects were sent to court. Those accused include Cambodians as well as foreign nationals from China, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore. The government said that from early last year to April 19, Cambodia deported 13,039 foreign nationals linked to online scams, including 1,509 women, representing 33 nationalities.
Since the start of this year, 241,888 individuals have voluntarily left Cambodia, including citizens of China, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
To strengthen enforcement, the government said it has introduced several legal measures to combat cyber fraud, including the Law on Combatting Online Scams, the “XXL” campaign to eliminate online scams, a sub-decree on safety and security management in concentrated residential areas, and an inter-ministerial regulation imposing fines on owners or managers of such areas.
Cyber fraud, trafficking, and forced labour linked to scam operations are now punishable by harsher penalties, including life imprisonment.
- Tags: National, scam operation
