Cambodia Reports 86 Major Scam Compounds Shut Down and 5,778 Suspects Detained in Nationwide Crackdown
Phnom Penh — Cambodia has shut down 86 major online scam compounds nationwide and placed them under government control, while 5,778 suspects are being held in prisons and 529 cases have been filed with the courts, according to Chhay Sinarith, the senior minister in charge of special missions who heads the secretariat of the Commission for Combating Online Scams. He disclosed the figures in an interview with RFI Khmer.
Investigators have identified about 97 organised criminal networks operating inside Cambodia and roughly 100 more overseas, he said. The networks involve nationals of nearly 40 countries; the major masterminds are predominantly foreign nationals, while Cambodian citizens have also been lured into the operations. The cases filed with the courts target criminal networks, money laundering and alleged abuses linked to scam operations, including human trafficking, unlawful confinement and torture.
Responding to questions about reported links between military and police officials, security companies and scam compounds in several places, he said each case must be investigated comprehensively to identify those responsible and gather sufficient evidence before charges are brought, and that the future of the shuttered compounds depends on individual court cases and asset-confiscation rulings. He added that smaller operations continue to surface in guesthouses, condominiums and rental properties.
Cambodia intensified its nationwide crackdown in 2025, pledging to eliminate the online scam industry. Scam compounds across Southeast Asia have long lured workers from many countries with promises of high-paying jobs and forced them into telecom and online fraud targeting victims worldwide. Amnesty International reported in June that Cambodia had failed to dismantle much of the industry despite the yearlong campaign; Chhay Sinarith responded in writing at the time that the report did not reflect the government's significant efforts and concrete measures.
Source: Cambodia's Commission for Combating Online Scams
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：柬埔寨首都金边天际线（2024年12月）。照片：经 Wikimedia Commons（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 / Photo: Skyline of Phnom Penh, Cambodia (December 2024). Photo via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
