Cambodia Confirms Investigation Into Deng Pibing as Long Bay Site Remains Sealed
Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith, head of the Secretariat of the Commission for Combating Online Scams (CCOS), has confirmed that Cambodian authorities are investigating Deng Pibing over suspected activities linked to the Long Bay development in Koh Kong province, and that the site remains under investigation and strict control, The Khmer Today reported. Long Bay is a tourism and infrastructure project within the Dara Sakor concession, developed by the ZhengHeng Group founded by Deng.
The statement responded to the Al Jazeera investigative documentary "101 East," which aired on October 10. The 24-minute film, titled "Exposing an alleged crime kingpin's Cambodian empire," presented allegations of online scam operations, drug use and corruption at Long Bay, and included undercover footage and statements involving Deng Pibing, Cambodian entrepreneurs and officials.
Chhay Sinarith said Cambodian authorities had not allowed the Long Bay site to operate as a base for technology-based scam activities. In February 2026, authorities discovered several buildings within the Long Bay compound suspected of being linked to online scam operations;the suspected criminal groups had fled, leaving behind evidence believed to be connected to such activities. Koh Kong provincial authorities detained several suspects, seized evidence and sealed off the site. On September 5, Prime Minister Hun Manet personally visited locations under authorities' control in Koh Kong province and instructed officials to maintain strict control over the sites and evidence and conduct thorough investigations. Regarding Deng Pibing, Chhay Sinarith said the investigation is continuing and no conclusion has been reached. According to the General Department of Immigration, Deng left Cambodia in late May 2026. Information from specialised sources indicated he was subject to an Interpol Red Notice, but Chhay Sinarith noted that this has not been independently verified, and the requesting country and specific charges remain unclear.
Interior Ministry spokesman Touch Sokha said the Dara Sakor compound featured in the investigation had already been raided and completely shut down by Cambodian law enforcement. He suggested claims made by Deng in the documentary about distributing money to secure stability and protection for his business could be attempts to boast about his influence to impress the undercover journalists, and stated that any profit-sharing arrangement between private individuals and government officials, if proven, would be an illegal act rather than one authorised by a public institution. "No public institution engages in sharing profits from improper activities or distributing benefits with private individuals," he said. On footage of vehicles bearing police licence plates and insignia, he said no state institution permits government vehicles to be used for private interests, and that privately owned vehicles may in some cases be modified or fitted with counterfeit plates and insignia.
Chhay Sinarith reaffirmed that the government and the CCOS would continue firm law enforcement against online scams, saying the national campaign had taken legal action including raids and judicial prosecutions, with numerous cases before the courts, and that the government has pledged to prosecute ringleaders and accomplices and freeze criminals'assets.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 柬埔寨戈公省境内泰柬边境一带 48 号国道（示意）。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，Sompop S 摄，CC BY 2.0 授权
