AKP Phnom Penh, June 22, 2026 --

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court has ordered the pre-trial detention of 19 foreign nationals suspected of operating organised, transnational cyber fraud syndicates, judicial officials said Sunday.

Three investigating judges issued the detention orders on June 20, following targeted law enforcement operations that dismantled three separate illicit networks. The suspects include 13 Chinese citizens and six Vietnamese nationals, all charged under Cambodia's stringent new anti-cybercrime legislation.

According to court officials, the suspects are facing charges under Article 5 of the Law on Anti-Cyber Fraud, which addresses organised cyber fraud offenses carried out by structured criminal groups.

The first case involves six Vietnamese nationals who allegedly operated an organised cyber fraud ring from a commercial building in the Sangkat Veal Vong of Khan (district) 7 Makara. Court documents indicate the syndicate had been active from November 2025 until law enforcement intervened on June 2, 2026.

The second case targets an eight-member Chinese syndicate accused of operating an aggravated online investment scam.

The group utilised "pig-butchering" tactics—cultivating rapport and trust with victims online to manipulate them into pouring capital into fraudulent investment platforms.

The ring operated out of two high-security locations within Khan Sen Sok: a residential villa and a suite at the Rose Garden International Hotel. The operation ran from early 2026 until it was raided by police on June 8.

The third operation involved five Chinese nationals who ran a cyber fraud hub out of a private residence in the Borey Piphup Thmey development along Northbridge Road, located in Sangkat O Bek Ka’ Om of Khan Sen Sok. This network had been functioning for approximately seven months before being shut down on June 2, 2026.

All 19 accused individuals have been transferred to Correctional Centres 1 (M1) and 2 (M2) pending trial.

This coordinated prosecution stands as one of the most significant enforcement actions taken under Cambodia’s newly enacted Law on Anti-Cyber Fraud, which was officially promulgated on April 7, 2026. Under the updated penal framework, individuals convicted of organised, aggravated cyber fraud face maximum penalties of life imprisonment, statutory fines of up to 1 billion Riel (approximately US$250,000), and the comprehensive forfeiture of all illicitly acquired assets.

By K. Rithy Reak