Cambodia: Police raid suspected scam compounds and detain about 1,000 foreigners, mostly Chinese and Koreans, following media reports about alleged online scam operations
"1,000 Foreign Workers Found in Raid on Suspected Kampong Speu Scam Compound", 25 October 2024
Around 1000 foreign nationals, mainly Chinese and Koreans, were detained by the National Police following a raid on a housing complex in Kampong Speu province, which prior reports have linked to suspected scam operations.
The … raid came a day after a South Korean news outlet published an investigative report identifying the Kampong Speu compound, known as Mango Park, as a cyber-scam hub trafficking Koreans to scam others and allegedly colluding with local law enforcement…
National Police Chief Sar Thet told … that claims by the South Korean outlet alleging Koreans and other foreigners were trafficked and forced into commiting online scams at Mango Park and other sites were untrue.
Yet Cambodia’s cyber scam industry, estimated to generate $12.5 billion annually, is deeply entwined with human trafficking, with around 100,000 individuals forced into scam operations under brutal conditions, according to a UN Human Rights report.
Additionally, the U.S. State Department’s … “Trafficking in Persons” report ranked Cambodia last for its response to human trafficking, emphasizing officials’ failure to adequately investigate the widespread trafficking and forced labor of foreigners in the scam industry…
National Police spokesperson Chhay Kim Khoeun, told … that officers are investigating the case but could not provide further details…