With the coordinated efforts of Indian and Cambodian officials, one of the largest transnational cybercrime networks of Southeast Asia has been traced and successfully curbed, leading to the arrest of more than 3000 cybercrime offenders.
Based on the request from Indian agencies, including the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Cambodian authorities undertook the anti-cybercrime operation from June 27th to July 22nd at more than 138 locations across the country.
The coordinated operation targeted online fraud networks, cyber fraud compounds across more than 16 provinces of the country, including the capital city of Phnom Penh. The cyber scam network had also indulged in forced labour, human trafficking, torture, and other inhuman mechanisms in order to gain money or other benefits.
During the operation, Cambodian officials have recovered and seized hundreds of digital devices that were used for the purpose of committing cybercrimes and many other harmful materials, including weapons, bullets, drug processing equipment, ecstasy and narcotics powder. Fake Indian and Chinese police uniforms have been seized.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet held a meeting with the country’s National Anti-Money Laundering Commission and issued a stringent warning to law enforcement agencies and military officials to crack down on the illegal racket, thus the operation was initiated immediately. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs in India hailed the operation as a “big step by the Cambodian government on the request of MHA, MEA and I4C”.
Arrest and Deportation of the Offenders
While busting the cybercrime racket, Cambodian authorities arrested 3,075 suspects, including 606 women, who belong to more than a dozen countries. Among the detained individuals, 1,028 are Chinese nationals, forming the highest among the fraudsters followed by 693 Vietnamese, 366 Indonesians and 105 Indians. Many detained scammers were also Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Nepali, Korean, Malaysian, Filipino, Myanmar, Uganda and various other Asian nations’ descendants.
The raid also disclosed that many scammers were backed by China-based organised crime groups and victims of the online fraud were persuaded with fake job offers and other call-centre style cyber scams.
The suspects are currently held under investigation and further legal action is being taken. As of now, the Cambodian court has ordered temporary detention of 8 fraudsters. 17 more Chinese nationals are identified as illegal immigrants from China and preparations are underway to deport them back to their home country.
Meanwhile, the United Nations data claim that more than 1,00,000 people are currently trapped under the cybercrime network across Cambodia and they are victims of frauds such as investment scams, fake crypto cons, romance baiting etc.
