Tie Xiao Jun accused the Cambodian police of selling information to online fraudsters, while Sun Lei faked a $100 bribe to an immigration officer. Supplied
The Ministry of Interior has refuted separate “propaganda” allegations by two Chinese nationals: One accused the Cambodian police of selling information to online fraudsters, while the other claimed he was forced to pay a “tip” to immigration officers.
On the evening of March 5, the ministry’s Command for Research, Investigation and Suppression of All Types of Crimes announced the strong denial of claims made on a Chinese Weibo account named Tie Xiao Jun.
The account accused police officers of the Cambodian National Police of selling information to online fraudsters, as well as ignoring the torture of trafficked victims.
“On March 3, a Chinese national using the Weibo account Tie Xiao Jun posted malicious propaganda, accusing the Cambodian National Police and confusing national and international public opinion, which may cause fear among tourists and foreign investors,” said a statement from the National police.
It explained that the account alleged that the police sold information to online fraudsters about cases of Chinese citizens being tortured while working for online fraud sites. The Tie Xiao Jun account claimed to be collecting its information directly from Chinese citizens working for online operations in Cambodia.
“There were no foreign victims as claimed, as the authorities did not intervene after receiving the information,” added the ministry’s crime suppression command.
The command shared data which showed that in 2024 and early 2025, the Cambodian police consistently responded to requests for assistance. The requests resulted in 1,783 search operations, with 3,304 foreigners identified as requiring help.
Of the searches, 1,395 requests were determined to be based on fabricated information, such as people wishing to breach employment contracts (673) and people who had knowingly entered the Kingdom illegally but wanted to return home (683), among others.
In 373 cases, 811 foreigners were not located for various reasons, such as people having quit and left the location (309 cases), or allegations which were determined to be false due to a lack of evidence (64).
There were also additional requests from unidentified individuals, which did not result in further action.
“In addition to investigating requests for assistance from foreigners, since 2024, the authorities have launched operations to shut down 18 illegal online operations. They arrested 3,724 foreigners of 16 nationalities and deported them. Furthermore, 15 cases have been sent to court and 76 suspects have been extradited,” and the command.
In a separate case, the ministry issued a March 5 press release regarding a Chinese man named Sun Lei, who took a photograph of a $100 note and shared it to social media under the pretext of “paying an immigration officer’s commission” upon his arrival in Cambodia at Phnom Penh International Airport.
“In front of the Cambodian immigration authorities, the man pleaded guilty and claimed that the photo and content, which contradicted the truth, were only meant for fun,” said the release.
“I did not post it publicly and also confirmed to my partners that I arrived in Cambodia safely and kept it as a souvenir because I rarely have US dollars to spend in China,” it quoted the man as saying.
The statement added that the dissemination of false information – including past portrayals of people claiming to be “victims” – has negatively affected the immigration police and, more seriously, has impacted Cambodia’s reputation on the international stage.
To reduce the time, complexity and assuage negative issues associated with Cambodia's entry and exit visa procedures, the General Department of Immigration introduced an online mechanism, the Cambodia e-Arrival.
This ensures that guests to the Kingdom can pass through quickly and easily, contributing to attracting tourists and investors, and also strengthening security in the digital context.
“We encourage the public to complete the online procedure seven days before their travel dates. They should use the information form which is available in 7 languages on the website www.arrival.gov.kh or the Cambodia e-Arrival app,” added the ministry.
