Cambodia Shuts 190 Online Scam Centers, Arrests 173

Cambodian authorities have shuttered nearly 200 online scam centers in a sweeping crackdown on transnational fraud operations, arresting senior figures and deporting thousands of workers amid mounting international pressure. The campaign, which intensified in recent weeks, targets sprawling compounds that have preyed on victims worldwide through sophisticated schemes involving human trafficking and forced labor.

Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith, chair of Cambodia's Commission for Combating Online Scams, announced that officials have sealed off about 190 locations across the country. Speaking in Phnom Penh, he stated that 173 high-level crime figures linked to the centers have been detained, while more than 11,000 workers have been deported. The effort began late last year, following a U.S. indictment and China's subsequent extradition of a Chinese-born alleged scam leader, marking the most significant international action against these networks to date.

In a rare move, authorities granted journalists access to one such compound in Kampot province, near the Vietnam border, to demonstrate their commitment to dismantling the operations. The site, part of a larger casino complex known...