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Cambodia Detains Over 20,000 in Online Scam Crackdown in First Half of 2026
Cambodian authorities cracked down on 488 online scam locations in the first half of 2026, detaining 20,926 suspects of 38 nationalities. Of these, 2,637 were sent to court, and 1,666 were released after signing promises. A total of 16,874 foreigners linked to cyber fraud were deported.
AKP Phnom Penh, September 21, 2026 -- Cambodian authorities raided 488 online-scam locations and detained 20,926 suspects of 38 nationalities during the first six months of 2026, according to H.E. Touch Sokhak, Deputy Spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior. The crackdowns were spearheaded by the Ministry of Interior, supported by the General Commissariat of National Police and municipal-provincial administrative unified command centres. Of those detained, 2,637 suspects representing 26 nationalities were referred to court, while 1,666 individuals across 14 nationalities signed a written promise not to repeat the offence, before release. Remaining cases are under active legal and specialised processing. During the same period, officials inspected 28,512 locations subject to Sub-Decree 03 – covering over 100,000 individuals – and conducted more than 21,000 street checks involving 44,000 people. These operations led to the discovery of evidence, criminal suspects, and 2,340 undocumented foreigners across 20 nationalities. In total, Cambodia deported 46,474 foreign nationals in the first half of the year, including 16,874 individuals across 34 nationalities tied directly to cyber-fraud activities. Specialised units also identified 30 crime victims – 25 subjected to sexual exploitation and five to human trafficking. Authorities detained 18 suspects, identified eight others for arrest, inspected and installed 457 surveillance cameras across 201 raid sites, sealed or oversaw the voluntary closure of 521 non-compliant locations, and opened 85 money-laundering investigations. The crackdown continued into August 2026, with authorities raiding 85 additional tech-scam operation centres, detaining 1,255 suspects from 13 nationalities, and deporting 574 individuals across 11 nationalities. Furthermore, property owners and managers who failed to declare foreign residents under Sub-Decree 03 were fined a total of 822.24 million Riels (Approximately US$205,560). By K. Rithy Reak
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AKP Cambodia