Interior minister Sar Sokha (left) shakes hands with Chinese State Councillor Wang Xiaohong, public security minister, in Beijing on September 6. Sar Sokha via FB
Cambodia and China have agreed to enhance their current and future cooperation on security issues, with a focus on tracking down and repatriating those guilty of committing transnational crimes, while also strengthening the capacity of law enforcement officials in Cambodia.
The goals of this security cooperation between the two countries were set during an official September 5 to 7 visit to Beijing by Minister of Interior Sar Sokha. During his trip, Sokha met with Chinese State Councillor Wang Xiaohong, Minister of Public Security.
“For the coming years, both sides will focus on security work, tracking criminals, repatriation, enhancing practical law enforcement, capacity building, and improving the quality and effectiveness of our cooperation,” Sokha shared, via social media.
Their cooperation is a continuation of an existing collaboration, which was established between the Ministry of Interior of Cambodia and China’s Ministry of Public Security in 2019.
According to the interior ministry, from 2023 to the first half of 2024, the two sides have investigated and cracked down on multiple transnational crimes, including cybercrimes, human trafficking and drug-related crimes.
Last week, the two ministries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the continued operation of a joint law enforcement office.
“Our continuation of the MoU reflects the commitment and dedication of the two governments, as well as between the two ministries, to maintaining security, safety and public order,” the ministry said.
Sokha praised China’s assistance to Cambodia’s security sector, including the provision of technical equipment and human resource training, along with the ongoing support for combating cross-border crimes such as human trafficking and online fraud.
Wang expressed confidence that the cooperation between the two ministries will continue to flourish under Cambodia’s new government, with China remaining committed to providing support, including capacity building and material assistance.
On September 6, five suspects involved in a large money laundering operation were repatriated from Cambodia to China, as part of “Operation Fox Hunt”, a covert Chinese government operation aimed at combating corruption and economic crimes.
China’s public security ministry reported that since June 2023, the five suspects had recruited over 100 people, through the pretext of part-time work or special loan offers. The five suspects are accused of committing online fraud. After receiving funds, they transferred it through stolen cards and purchased foreign currency to launder the money.
The ministry added that to avoid detection, the suspects frequently changed their residences in Cambodia. But with cooperation from the Kingdom’s law enforcement, the suspects were arrested in September.
According to China Daily, since the launch of “Operation Fox Hunt” in 2014, more than 9,000 fugitives have been arrested and repatriated from 12 countries, with approximately $6.76 billion in assets recovered.
In August, the public security ministry highlighted that it was strengthening cooperation with law enforcement agencies in other countries to combat transnational crimes targeting Chinese citizens. This cooperation focuses on online gambling, fraud, overseas abductions, homicide and organised crime.
In Cambodia, online fraud, human trafficking and kidnappings have been frequently reported by the media or foreign embassies, sparking fear among some potential foreign tourists, despite no official reports of such incidents involving tourists.
Several foreign embassies, including those of India, Malaysia and China, have warned their citizens to be cautious about possible employment recruitment schemes in Cambodia, as their nationals have ended up becoming victims before being rescued and repatriated.
Pech Pisey, executive director of Transparency International Cambodia, commented today that addressing online fraud and abductions in Cambodia is complicated due to weak law enforcement, the high capacity of criminal networks, corruption and a perceived lack of political will.
“The first reason is weak law enforcement. This may be related to the complexity of combating these crimes because criminals use sophisticated technology to avoid detection by law enforcement, quickly shifting operations from one place to another.
“The second issue is corruption, such as backers of the criminals. Criminals use powerful and well-funded networks in various countries to protect themselves and exploit corrupt systems when facing problems,” he told The Post.
Pisey believed that to eliminate these crimes, strong political will from the highest levels of leadership is needed, in order to address the issue systemically.
“If this is not addressed, Cambodia will face difficulties attracting investment, particularly from Western countries, which seek out large and ‘clean’ investment opportunities. Additionally, it will affect the tourism sector because the majority of current victims are from ASEAN countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, as well as Japan, which is a major concern,” he said.
