Suspects held in Cambodian crackdown on online fraud

As an effort to further combat online fraud, Cambodian police carried out two major operations in the capital of Phnom Penh and Kampot province, resulting in the arrest of 65 individuals, including seven Chinese nationals and 58 Vietnamese nationals, CCTV reported on Thursday.

In Phnom Penh, the police conducted a raid on the 17th floor of an apartment building where seven Chinese men suspected of being involved in online fraud were apprehended. Authorities also seized 32 mobile phones, computers, and other related items at the scene, it reported.

Initial investigations revealed that the suspects employed "online romance" schemes to defraud victims, primarily targeting individuals abroad. Authorities are currently pursuing the masterminds behind the fraudulent network.

On the same day, the police also conducted a raid in Bokor city, Kampot province. They searched three terraced houses, a villa and a room, arresting 58 Vietnamese nationals suspected of online fraud. The police also confiscated 63 computers, 48 mobile phones, and other evidence at the scene.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the fraud gang used "investment" and "e-currency" as fronts, operating fraudulent websites to carry out cross-border scams, primarily targeting foreign nationals, according to the report.

The police said that the Cambodian government maintains a "zero tolerance" policy towards all forms of online fraud. Law enforcement agencies nationwide will continue to rigorously crack down on such crimes, ensuring that ringleaders and individuals involved are held accountable in accordance with the law with no leniency, it added.