Cambodia Nabs 34 in Scam Bust as Criminals Shift to Smaller Operations

Cambodian authorities have arrested 34 people, including 33 Chinese nationals, in a crackdown on suspected online scam operations as criminal networks increasingly move from large compounds to smaller, dispersed sites. The suspects were detained during a two‑day operation on August 29‑30 in Kiri Sakor district, Koh Kong province, the Secretariat of the Committee for Combating Technology‑Based Fraud (CCTF) said. Among those arrested were three Chinese women and one Cambodian woman. Police seized 746 mobile phones, 33 laptops, 34 desktop or all‑in‑one computers, two processing units and two monitors. The suspects and equipment were transferred to the Koh Kong Provincial Police Commissariat for legal proceedings. In a separate operation in Phnom Penh on August 27, authorities inspected a property in Tonle Bassac commune suspected of smuggling. They confiscated about 3,000 mobile phones packed in 42 cartons, along with 211 all‑in‑one computers, 16 laptops, 16 CPUs and nine monitors, according to the CCTF. Officials said the operations highlight a shift in tactics, with scam groups now operating from rented rooms, guesthouses, condominiums, private homes, vehicles and coffee shops. Chhay Sinarith, chairman of the Ad‑hoc Committee to Combat Technology‑Based Scams (CCTC), told foreign diplomats and international organisations last week that authorities had shut down 86 large‑scale scam centres and were moving to confiscate the properties as state assets. He said no major compounds remain active, but pledged continued prosecutions of masterminds and accomplices. The government has urged citizens and foreign missions to share information on suspected scam sites, warning that networks are adopting more sophisticated methods. Officials stressed Cambodia’s campaign is aimed at preventing the country from becoming a safe haven for transnational crime while protecting the public from organised online fraud.