AKP Phnom Penh, April 15, 2026–

A Phnom Penh Municipal Court investigating judge on April 13 ordered the provisional detention of 20 individuals, including two women, in connection with a large-scale online scam operation.

According to separate detention warrants issued by Judge Bun Ratanak, the suspects—comprising 19 Chinese nationals and one Kyrgyzstani national—face charges of aggravated fraud committed as an organised group engaged in online scams, as well as illegal border crossing.

The alleged offences took place on an unnumbered plot of land in Sleng Roloeung village, Khan Sen Sok, Phnom Penh.

The suspects are being prosecuted under Article 380 of the Cambodian Penal Code, which provides for a prison sentence of two to five years when fraud is carried out by an organised group. They also face charges under Article 29 of the Immigration Law, which stipulates a prison term of three to six months for unauthorised entry into the Kingdom of Cambodia through concealment, fraud, or other deceptive means, prior to deportation.

The Secretariat of the Commission for Combating Online Scams (CCOS) reported that over a nine-month period from July 2025 to March 2026, Cambodian authorities across the capital and provinces cracked down on more than 250 technology fraud cases. Of those, 80 cases involving approximately 750 suspects have been sent to court. Nationalities included Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, South Korean, Singaporean, and Cambodian.

By K. Rithy Reak