According to a report by The Associated Press on September 23, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet stated that the country has eradicated those large-scale fraud operations that tarnished its reputation worldwide. However, some government officials and experts argue that Cambodia is not sufficiently effective in punishing those involved in fraud activities that harm global citizens, and they call for criminal proceedings to be initiated against such offenders.
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet said at a meeting on combating online fraud: "Through our efforts, we have completely dismantled all large-scale fraud networks within the kingdom. Even if organized crime groups try to break up into smaller operations, our law enforcement agencies remain vigilant and ready to dismantle any new threats that emerge within these networks."
It is understood that Cambodia, together with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the International Criminal Police Organization, hosted a two-day conference. On the 22nd, the Cambodian side led reporters to visit several vacant fraud-related facilities, as part of its efforts to close down these facilities.
After closing hundreds of scam farms in August, Cambodia announced the success of its actions. Hmong Mani and other speakers pointed out that no country can solve this problem alone, and they called for joint efforts.
Meanwhile, some experts say that Cambodia has not done enough to dismantle the criminal networks that allow fraud operations to thrive. However, they also agree that many of these operations seem to have been shut down.
"Mark Taylor, anti-human trafficking advisor, said: 'The Cambodian government has indeed closed most major industrial zones, but in terms of dismantling the criminal organizations responsible for operating these networks of scams and targeting and punishing those elites within Cambodia who profit from this abuse, it is still doing too little.'"
American House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Bryan Mast called for consideration of sanctions against key Cambodian politicians, including the country's Deputy Prime Minister Nhessavan, due to their suspected involvement in the operation of scam centers.
It is reported that online fraud in Cambodia has been particularly rampant during the pandemic. Victims have suffered losses of hundreds of billions of dollars due to these scams, which are carried out by tens of thousands of people who are forced to work as laborers. Many fraudulent operations have emerged in Southeast Asia, especially in countries with weak law enforcement.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that total estimated losses related to drug problems and crime in 2025 will range between $88.3 billion to $1141 billion.
"China Daily" September 23rd report, China Ministry of Public Security Deputy Minister Yang WeiLin gave a speech at the "Combating Online Scams International Conference" held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Yang WeiLin highly praised Cambodia's significant achievements in strengthening law enforcement, combating corruption, and cracking down on criminal gangs. He stated that Cambodian actions successfully eradicated many large-scale gambling scam dens, leading to the arrest of tens of thousands of suspects and their repatriation. Yang WeiLin called for countries to avoid politicizing cross-border crime issues or creating camp rivalries, instead through sharing intelligence, cutting off illegal financial chains, quickly apprehending and repatriating suspects - these practical measures can deepen multilateral cooperation.
