Cambodia says it has shut down more than 700 online scam centers
Cambodian authorities said they had shut down more than 700 sites linked to online scam centers over the past year. During this time, nearly 30,000 suspects were detained, including 15 senior officials and law enforcement personnel.
Detentions and deportations
As Channel NewsAsia reports, the Cambodian government said in a statement that law enforcement agencies dismantled more than 700 such compounds over the year and deported 58,266 foreign nationals.
More than 3,400 suspects from 29 countries are in custody awaiting trial. They include citizens of China, Vietnam, Australia, France, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand.
Scam schemes
Cambodia has become a hub for criminal groups that use fake romantic relationships and cryptocurrency investment schemes to deceive internet users in different countries. According to the source, those involved in such schemes included both people acting voluntarily and those who became victims of human trafficking.
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The Cambodian government said that after major sites were shut down, criminal groups changed their tactics and shifted to a decentralized operating model. According to the authorities, they operate from guesthouses, condominiums, rented homes, vehicles and coffee shops.
Extraditions to China
In January, Cambodia extradited Chen Zhi, a China-born chairman of the Cambodian conglomerate Prince Holding Group and, according to the source, the suspected leader of a scam scheme, to China. Before that, the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on him.
In April, Cambodia also extradited Li Xiong, the former chairman of Huione Group, to China. Beijing accuses him of playing a key role in a large transnational gambling and fraud network.
