AKP Phnom Penh, June 26, 2026 -- Cambodia has escalated its law enforcement campaign against transnational cyber fraud networks, with a senior government official disclosing the scale of a sweeping 18-month crackdown aimed at dismantling foreign-led syndicates operating from within the country.

In an exclusive interview with Tokyo Broadcasting System Television (TBS) on Wednesday, Senior Minister H.E. Santepundit Chhay Sinarith, who heads the Task Force of the Secretariat of the Commission for Combating Online Scams (CCOS), framed online fraud as a global security crisis rather than a localised phenomenon. He candidly acknowledged that these illicit operations have tarnished Cambodia’s international standing, while stressing that foreign kingpins bear primary responsibility for exploiting the nation's territory.

"Foreign criminal masterminds have lured foreign nationals to use Cambodian soil as a covert base to conduct scams targeting victims abroad," H.E. Chhay Sinarith stated.

In response, Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet has ordered a comprehensive mobilisation of state resources, underpinned by the enactment of a dedicated "Law on Combating Technology-enabled Scams." According to the Senior Minister, this legal framework – designed specifically to counter tech-driven crime and cross-border syndicates – positions Cambodia ahead of several regional counterparts in legislative readiness.

Data from the task force reveals the full weight of the Royal Government’s offensive between early 2025 and June 22, 2026:

Over 500 scam locations were targeted nationwide; More than 400 illegal operations were permanently sealed; 25 casino licenses were revoked or suspended; 184 court cases have been initiated, with 55 currently in trial; 1,761 defendants have been prosecuted, alongside over 2,000 foreign suspects representing 33 nationalities.

Despite the inherent complexity of uprooting deeply entrenched transnational networks, H.E. Chhay Sinarith affirmed the Royal Government’s unwavering commitment to completely eradicating these criminal hubs. The objective, he noted, is twofold: to restore national prestige and to secure a safe, credible environment for foreign investors and Cambodian citizens alike.

By K. Rithy Reak