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Between July 14 and 16, 2025, Cambodian authorities arrested more than 1,000 suspects in coordinated raids across at least five provinces, following a directive from Prime Minister Hun Manet to dismantle criminal cybercrime operations threatening national and regional security.
🔍 Scope of the Operation
The crackdown targeted suspected scam compounds in:
- Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville: 85 Cambodians, 200+ Vietnamese, 27 Chinese, and 75 Taiwanese detained
- Poipet: 270 Indonesians, including 45 women
- Kratie Province: 312 suspects from Thailand, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Vietnam
- Pursat Province: 27 suspects from Vietnam, China, and Myanmar
Authorities seized hundreds of mobile phones and computers used in online scam operations.
🧠Government Justification
Hun Manet’s order cited the growing threat of foreign criminal infiltration and the need to “maintain and protect security, public order, and social safety”. The United Nations estimates that cyberscams originating in Southeast Asia generate billions in illicit revenue annually.
⚠️ Human Rights Concerns
A recent Amnesty International report accused the Cambodian government of complicity in widespread abuses linked to cybercrime, including:
- Human trafficking
- Forced labor
- Child exploitation
- Torture and slavery
The report identified over 50 scam compounds operating across the country, often with apparent state tolerance.
Amnesty’s Secretary General Agnes Callamard stated:
“Survivors describe being deceived, trafficked, and enslaved—trapped in criminal enterprises operating with the apparent consent of the Cambodian government.”
🌍 Regional Tensions
The crackdown coincides with escalating tensions between Cambodia and Thailand, following a border skirmish in May. Thailand has since closed crossing points and cut electricity supplies to Poipet, citing efforts to combat cyberscam operations. Cambodia has condemned these actions as retaliatory and politically motivated.
