By: Sunday Ameh
Cambodian authorities have arrested 57 South Koreans for their alleged involvement in transnational cyberscams, a government commission said on Thursday — just days after dozens of suspects accused of working in similar networks were repatriated.
The multibillion-dollar scam industry has grown rapidly in Cambodia in recent years, with thousands of people — some coerced and others complicit — engaged in the illegal operations, according to experts.
In a statement, Cambodia’s Anti-Cybercrime Commission said local police raided a suspected scam centre in Phnom Penh, the nation’s capital, on Wednesday.
During the operation, police reportedly arrested 57 South Koreans and 29 Chinese nationals, while seizing 126 computers and 30 mobile phones believed to have been used in the fraudulent scheme.
Over the weekend, Cambodia had deported 64 South Korean nationals detained for their alleged links to so-called “pig butchering scams” — a fraudulent technique in which perpetrators build trust with victims over time before defrauding them.
The high-profile repatriations came amid public outrage following the torture and killing of a South Korean college student in Cambodia earlier this year, reportedly linked to an organised crime syndicate.
Last week, officials from South Korea’s Foreign Ministry met with Cambodia’s prime minister and senior police officers to discuss ongoing investigations into scam centres and fake job recruitment hubs.
South Korea’s Foreign Minister, Cho Hyun, said on Monday that 10 additional suspects had been arrested while two individuals held against their will were rescued.
According to the South Korean foreign ministry, about 550 South Koreans have been reported missing or detained after entering Cambodia since 2024. Seoul estimates that around 1,000 South Koreans are among the 200,000 people believed to be working in scam operations in the country.
Leave a Reply