One of the largest scale- scam compound busts took place in the capital’s Sen Sok district yesterday, with 218 foreigners taken into custody.
The April 6 raid, at the Phnom Penh Galaxy Condo, in Khmuonh commune’s Banla S’et village, saw foreigners from six nations detained, with 114 of them reportedly unable to produce a valid passport.
According to the Commission for Combating Technology Crimes (CCTC), the 218 foreigners included 93 Chinese, 91 Bangladeshi, 17 Vietnamese, 11 Indians, 5 Japanese and 1 Lao. Ten of those captured were women.
Authorities confiscated 177 computers and 392 mobile phones. They also discovered multiple Japanese police uniforms and ID cards, the second such find of the past few days.
Authorities concluded that the suspects were involved in technology-based fraud under the guise of impersonating police to target Japanese nationals. They also conducted “romance scams” and investment scams targeting victims in China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Vietnam.
All 218 suspects and the seized evidence have been transferred to the Phnom Penh Municipal Police Headquarters for further legal proceedings.
This crackdown coincides with the promulgation of the Law on Combating Technology Crimes, which consists of 5 chapters and 24 articles, signed by Acting Head of State Hun Sen on April 6.
Online fraud offenses are now subject to severe penalties, including life imprisonment and fines of up to 1,000 million Riels, as well as the seizure of the offender’s assets.