Cambodia’s Interior Ministry has warned there is no haven for online criminals in the country, following a series of raids that led to the arrest of nearly 400 foreign nationals in just two days.
In a statement, the ministry said authorities detained 398 foreigners after targeting four locations linked to online crime between April 6 and April 7.
Two sites in the capital, Phnom Penh, accounted for 245 arrests. Officials also seized large quantities of equipment, including more than 130 desktop computers, 66 laptops, over 600 mobile phones, as well as CPUs and tablets believed to have been used in fraudulent operations.
Elsewhere, police arrested 14 suspects at a site in Kep province and a further 139 individuals in Banteay Meanchey province, along with additional devices used for cyber fraud.
Investigators say preliminary forensic analysis indicates the operations were linked to scams impersonating Japanese police, targeting victims in Japan through so-called romance scams. Other schemes involved fraudulent investment offers aimed at people in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Vietnam.
The Interior Ministry said tackling online scams has become a top priority for the government, as it seeks to dismantle transnational criminal networks operating within Cambodia. Authorities have pledged to eliminate such activities by April this year.
The crackdown comes after immigration officials announced that more than 1,000 foreign nationals linked to online scams had been deported between April 1 and April 5, representing 27 different nationalities. Nearly 500 of those deported were Chinese nationals.
Officials said some of those detained were also involved in offences including illegal border crossings, document forgery, unlawful residence, extortion, use of fake visas, and illegal employment.
Cambodia first announced its goal of eradicating online crime by April 2026 in February.
However, some observers remain sceptical, arguing that enforcement efforts may fall short if authorities fail to act against powerful figures allegedly linked to such activities.
Research firm Chainalysis reported in late 2024 that a company associated with Hun To was connected to large-scale cryptocurrency fraud and illicit online marketplaces, with transactions worth tens of billions of dollars since 2021.
Despite repeated international media reports and allegations, there has been no public investigation into the claims.
The government has not publicly responded to those accusations.
