AKP Phnom Penh, October 16, 2025 -- Cambodian authorities have arrested 3,455 suspects from 20 nationalities and referred 75 alleged ringleaders and accomplices to court as part of a sweeping, four-month nationwide campaign against online scam operations.

The arrests and prosecutions, detailed by the Secretariat of the Commission for Countering Online Scams, follow coordinated operations across 18 municipal and provincial administrations from June 27 to October 14, 2025. 

Unified command forces executed raids at 92 targeted locations to dismantle organised criminal networks involved in fraud and human trafficking.

The crackdown netted 3,455 suspects, with the vast majority being foreign nationals. 

Those arrested represented diverse origins, including individuals from China (including Taiwan), Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, South Korea, Pakistan, Nepal, Malaysia, Japan, Myanmar, the Philippines, Laos, Cameroon, Nigeria, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Mongolia, and Russia.

Authorities have initiated legal proceedings in 10 major cases spanning Phnom Penh, Kandal, Preah Sihanouk, and Kampot provinces. Of the suspects, 75 — including five women — have been sent to court to face charges related to online scams, murder, and human trafficking.

In addition to the prosecutions, 2,825 foreign nationals, including 476 women, were deported from Cambodia. The operations also led to the rescue of human trafficking victims and the complete dismantling of several organized criminal groups.
Evidence seized in the operations includes thousands of mobile phones, computers, passports, and other electronic devices.

Authorities anticipate that this material will be crucial in identifying criminal ringleaders and the organisational networks operating both within and outside of Cambodia. 

Investigations are currently ongoing, with authorities working closely with relevant international partners and countries.

The significant results underscore the Cambodian Royal Government’s firm commitment to eliminating online scams, a crime that has severely impacted the country's reputation. 

The national campaign was formally launched on July 14, 2025, by Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, who issued nine key directives for its enforcement.

Prime Minister Manet emphasised that municipal and provincial governors, who chair the local unified command committees, along with police, relevant ministries and institutions, must strictly implement these directives. He warned that noncompliance would lead to evaluation, transfer, or removal from positions, highlighting the high-level resolve to enforce strict legal measures against all involved in these criminal activities.

By K. Rithy Reak