Chbar Ampov district police arrested 10 foreigners in connection with an illegal online gambling operation in Phnom Penh on November 23.

Phnom Penh Municipal Police spokesman San Sok Seiha told The Post on November 24 that after the arrests, police were continuing to interrogate and search for more people involved.

“We are working on it. We don’t know when should send them to court. We also need time to find and additional evidence to prosecute them,” Sok Seiha said.

An intelligence department official, who asked not to be named, told The Post on November 24 the investigation was led by the Intelligence department’s deputy director Ma Sithav, and coordinated by Phnom Penh Municipal Court deputy prosecutor Muth Dara.

This official said the raid on the online gambling sites took place at two different locations in Borey Peng Huoth.

“The raid took place in two different locations in the same borey. Seven people were arrested at one house and three at another,” he said.

Police said they confiscated evidence including mobile phones, desk phones, passports, computers, cars and other related items. The evidence is being kept at the intelligence department of the Ministry of Interior.

Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered crackdown on all unlicensed online gambling in August 2019 and banned the re-issuance of licenses to online gambling companies. The ban came after the Prime Minister said he observed that foreign criminals were using Cambodia as a place to extort money through a series of online gambling activities.

Affiliated Network for Social Accountability executive director San Chey said on November 24 the government had not yet fully eliminated the activity.

“Online casinos or online games are still there. The crackdown on online gambling is not yet effective,” he said.