Phnom Penh (VNA) – Cambodia’s campaign to dismantle online fraud operations has been continuously intensified and expanded across Phnom Penh and several other localities throughout the country in recent days.
According to data from the Secretariat of the Government Commission for Combatting Online Scams, from June 27 to July 16, the authorities carried out administrative checks and dismantled 20 online fraud centres in Phnom Penh and seven provinces. A total of 1,362 suspects, including 224 women, were arrested, representing various nationalities such as Indonesia, China, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.
The campaign has been stepped up following Prime Minister Hun Manet’s July 14 order, which mandated a nationwide initiative to eliminate all online scam centres.
The PM highlighted that certain foreign criminal organisations have exploited Cambodia as a hub for their illicit online activities.
The Cambodian leader was quoted as stating that leaders of cities and provinces, along with police forces, are responsible for eradicating all online scam operations within their jurisdictions in compliance with local laws and regulations.
According to the Cambodian National Police, in the first six months of this year, local authorities conducted 18 operations to combat online fraud in Phnom Penh and nine provinces. They arrested 2,418 suspects, launched criminal proceedings against 73 individuals, and deported 2,322 foreign nationals from various countries./.
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