PHNOM PENH: The Phnom Penh Municipal Court has ordered the pre-trial detention of 65 suspects, the majority of them Cambodian citizens, in connection with an alleged organised online scam network, according to the Secretariat of the Commission for Combating Online Scams (CCOS) press release issued on March 19.
The secretariat said the court’s prosecutor said the accused — eight Chinese and 57 Cambodians — have been charged with “aggravated fraud committed by an organised group”, with the alleged offences taking place both here and overseas.
The arrests followed a March 10 operation by the Phnom Penh Unified Command Committee, which raided a suspected online scam site located on the 30th floor of a condominium building in Boeung Keng Kang district.
Investigating judge Bun Ratha issued 65 separate detention orders, placing all suspects in pre-trial custody pending further legal proceedings.
The fraud offences can carry a prison sentence of between two and five years, particularly when committed in an organised manner or under other aggravating conditions.
A report from the Ministry of Justice noted that over the past eight months, Cambodian courts have handled cases involving nearly 600 individuals linked to online scam activities, including several major cases involving foreign “ringleaders”.
Reaffirming the government’s stance, the press release cited Prime Minister Hun Manet as stating: “Cambodia is not a place for technology-based criminals to carry out online scams or transnational crimes.”
“Any individuals or entities behind these fraudulent activities will face the highest penalties, without any leniency,” he added.
Authorities say ongoing enforcement efforts are expected to help eliminate online scam operations in the near future, as Cambodia continues to step up its crackdown on cybercrime. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
