PHNOM PENH: Cambodia has deported more than 200 foreign nationals linked to online scam operations as part of an intensified, regionally coordinated crackdown on cross-border cybercrime.
“The deportations, carried out on January 23, involved 209 foreigners, including 73 South Korean nationals and 136 from Myanmar, who were sent back to their home countries for further legal procedures,” according to the General Department of Immigration under the Ministry of Interior.
Authorities said those deported included both suspected perpetrators and victims of technology-based fraud, underscoring the complex nature of online scam networks that often rely on trafficking and coercion.
Cambodian officials noted that the operation was conducted in coordination with relevant foreign governments to ensure follow-up legal action and victim protection.
The latest move is reportedly part of a broader government effort to dismantle cyber scam syndicates operating across borders and to prevent Cambodia from being used as a base for transnational crime.
“This was not the first time South Korean nationals had been repatriated in connection with online fraud cases, recalling that 244 South Koreans were deported in 2025 under similar circumstances,” said the authorities.
The interior ministry described the deportations as “a firm application of Cambodian law aimed at eliminating technology-based crime, protecting public safety at both national and global levels, and holding ringleaders accountable, without exception”.
Authorities said the operations have also helped rescue victims who were deceived or forced into scam activities and facilitated their safe return home.
The scale of the crackdown has expanded significantly in recent weeks.
“From January 1 to January 22, Cambodia deported a total of 1,620 foreigners of 21 nationalities, including Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Pakistani, Indonesian, South Korean and Myanmar nationals,” it said.
Over the past seven months, nationwide operations against online scam activities have led to the arrest of 5,106 suspects from 23 nationalities, with 4,534 deported to their countries of origin.
Cambodian courts have also pursued major cases linked to cyber fraud, handling 37 large-scale cases and sentencing 172 ringleaders and accomplices, authorities said.
Officials reiterated that the campaign against online scams remains ongoing and involves close cooperation among Cambodian ministries, specialised law enforcement units and international partners.
They emphasised that strict legal measures will continue to be applied against those behind cyber scam operations, while efforts to identify and assist victims will remain a priority. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
