"Trafficking Victims Are Finally Being Freed From Cambodia—But the Scam Industry Is Far From Over", 10 November 2022

Sid thought his nightmare was finally over when, ..., Cambodian police showed up at the compound where he’d been held captive and forced to work since May. Several officers showed the company that recruited him a complaint letter they had received, asked him and a few others to pack up, and led them out.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he set foot outside the high walls that surrounded the complex, lined with barbed wire and CCTV cameras to prevent escapes. For the first time in three months, he no longer feared for his life, free from the gang that controlled his every move and forced him into running romance and cryptocurrency scams.

“I was so happy when they came to the rescue. I thought I was redeemed,” Sid told ... But his relief didn’t last long...

... Sid said officers in the facility have confiscated his main phone and demanded $400 for its return. They asked for $300 to provide a bed and another $100 for a fan during his stay. Unable to pay, Sid said he and other detainees are sleeping on the floor surrounded by trash in the stifling heat...

“We are in very bad condition, both mentally and physically,” Sid said. “We don’t know when they will release us and how long we can survive here.”...

... Pisey Pech, the executive director of Transparency International Cambodia, told ... that the criminal syndicates running cybercrime operations in the country are colluding with powerful elites...