Photo by Mikhail Nilov
Cambodian authorities have arrested more than 1,000 individuals in a sweeping crackdown on cyber-scam compounds across the country. The arrests took place between Monday and Wednesday across at least five provinces, according to official statements issued by Information Minister Neth Pheaktra and law enforcement agencies.
The nationwide operation follows a directive from Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, made public on Tuesday, instructing police and military forces to intensify efforts against online scams. In his directive, Hun Manet warned that officials who failed to take decisive action would risk losing their positions.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cambodia has become a hub for cyber-scam operations, many of which are believed to be controlled by Chinese organized crime syndicates. These operations often run out of both small individual flats and vast, multi-building compounds. Victims, lured with the promise of high-paying jobs, are forced to carry out global online scams—including romance and business fraud—under threat of torture or death. According to United Nations estimates, over 100,000 individuals are currently enslaved in such conditions in Cambodia alone. Across Southeast Asia, cyber scams are believed to generate approximately $40 billion in illicit revenue annually.
Among those arrested were more than 200 Vietnamese nationals, 27 Chinese, 75 Taiwanese, and 85 Cambodians, mainly in Phnom Penh and the southern city of Sihanoukville. Authorities also seized hundreds of mobile phones, computers, and other electronic equipment used in scam operations.
In Poipet, a town on the Thai border notorious for scam and gambling activities, police arrested 270 Indonesians—including 45 women—on Wednesday, according to Minister Neth Pheaktra. In Kratie province in the northeast, law enforcement detained 312 suspects, including individuals from Thailand, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Additionally, 27 people from Vietnam, China, and Myanmar were apprehended in the western province of Pursat.
While this week’s operation marks one of the largest mass arrests in recent years, critics argue it is too little, too late. The Cambodian government has faced long-standing accusations of allowing scam operations to flourish, amid widespread claims of corruption and high-level complicity. In September, the U.S. government sanctioned Cambodian tycoon Ly Yong Phat—known to be closely connected to Prime Minister Hun Manet and his family—over allegations of forced labor and involvement in cyber scams.
Human rights groups have also weighed in. In a report published last month, Amnesty International accused the Cambodian government of “deliberately ignoring a litany of human rights abuses,” including slavery, trafficking, child labor, and torture, all allegedly carried out by criminal gangs operating more than 50 scam compounds across the country.
Cambodian officials have consistently rejected these allegations, claiming they are doing all they can to address the problem. The recent crackdown, they say, is proof of the government’s commitment to fighting cybercrime and protecting vulnerable populations.
However, the crackdown comes at a time of heightened tensions between Cambodia and neighboring Thailand. The two countries have been engaged in a bitter diplomatic and military feud that began in late May with a brief armed skirmish over disputed border territory. The conflict has since escalated into near-daily nationalistic rhetoric, the closure of border crossings, and retaliatory economic measures.
Thailand has taken a particularly aggressive stance in Poipet, cutting off electricity supplies and shutting down border checkpoints. While Thai officials argue these moves are aimed at disrupting cyber-scam operations, Cambodia has interpreted them as acts of retaliation against its territorial claims. The souring of relations has also strained ties between the previously friendly former leaders of the two nations and sparked public debates over cultural influence and national identity.
As tensions simmer, Cambodia’s sweeping arrests appear aimed not only at curbing cybercrime but also at signaling to the international community that it is taking meaningful steps to address a crisis that has drawn increasing scrutiny. Still, with accusations of corruption lingering and pressure mounting from human rights organizations, it remains to be seen whether the crackdown will yield lasting results.
