AKP Phnom Penh, May 11, 2026 --

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court has ordered the pre-trial detention of 22 foreign nationals, including 20 Chinese and two Russian citizens, on charges of orchestrating an organised online scam operation, judicial officials confirmed Saturday.

Investigating Judge Top Chhun Song issued the detention orders on May 9, following a targeted crackdown on a sophisticated cybercrime hub located in the capital’s Khan Prampi Makara (January 7).

According to court documents, the suspects – 21 men and one woman – are accused of "organising or leading an online fraud centre" at the Baoli Inter City building. The alleged criminal activities took place between early April and April 24, 2026.

The suspects face charges under Article 6 of Cambodia’s recently enacted Law on Combating Technology-Enabled Scams.

Security forces have transferred the 21 male suspects to Phnom Penh Municipal Jail (PJ), while the sole female suspect has been sent to Correctional Centre 2 (M2).

The arrests mark a significant enforcement of Cambodia's new cybercrime legislation, which was adopted on April 6 and came into effect the following day. The law introduced five new criminal offenses to combat the rising tide of digital fraud, including the organisation of scam centres and illicit data collection.

Under the stringent new legal framework, individuals found guilty of leading such operations could face life imprisonment, fines of up to 1 billion Riel (approximately US$250,000), and the total seizure of assets.

By K. Rithy Reak