AKP Phnom Penh, January 23, 2026 -- Cambodia deported 209 foreign nationals on Friday, including 73 South Koreans and 136 Myanmar citizens, as part of an intensified regional crackdown on large-scale cyber-scam operations.

The General Department of Immigration confirmed that the group, which includes both suspected perpetrators and victims of human trafficking, was handed over to their respective home authorities for further legal proceedings.

The move marks a continuation of Cambodia’s campaign against transnational cybercrime. In 2025, the Kingdom deported 244 South Korean nationals under similar circumstances. Authorities emphasised that this policy aims to dismantle the infrastructure of "scam farms" and rescue individuals coerced into criminal activity.

"This is a firm enforcement of the law in our efforts to eliminate technology-based crimes," the department said in a statement. "We are committed to ensuring the safety of people both regionally and globally, with zero tolerance for the ringleaders behind these operations."

The scale of the crackdown is significant. Between Jan. 1 and 22, 2026, Cambodia has already expelled 1,620 foreigners representing 21 different nationalities, including citizens from Vietnam, Thailand, China, Pakistan, Indonesia, South Korea, and Myanmar.

According to government data, the last seven months of enforcement have led to: 5,106 arrests involving suspects from 23 different nationalities; 4,534 deportations to countries of origin; 37 major cases prosecuted in Cambodian courts, resulting in the sentencing of 172 kingpins and accomplices.

The Royal Government of Cambodia, in collaboration with international partners, has pledged to continue these nationwide operations. Specialist task forces from the Ministry of Interior and inter-agency units are reportedly targeting the organisers of these syndicates, many of whom exploit vulnerable workers through online fraud schemes.

By K. Rithy Reak