Cambodia Briefs EU, Diplomats on Intensified Anti-Online Fraud Campaign

Cambodia Briefs EU, Diplomats on Intensified Anti-Online Fraud Campaign

PHNOM PENH, Feb 18, 2026 — Cambodia has intensified a nationwide crackdown on online scam operations and pledged to eliminate technology-based fraud networks from the country, officials told foreign diplomats on Wednesday.

Chhay Sinarith, a senior minister in charge of a special mission and head of the national anti-online scam committee, briefed ambassadors and representatives from 26 countries and the European Union at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the government’s enforcement campaign.

He said that since June 2025 authorities have investigated about 200 online scam cases linked to roughly 2,500 locations nationwide. More than 10,400 computers and 36,400 smartphones were seized as evidence, along with other equipment.

Authorities have deported more than 8,000 foreign nationals in connection with the crackdown, while over 200 premises — including casinos — have been shut down, he said. Some suspected ringleaders fled during the operations and remain under investigation.

According to the Justice Ministry, Cambodian courts have processed cases against more than 500 suspects in the past eight months, including several high-profile cases involving foreign nationals.

Officials said Cambodia has also worked with international partners — including the United States, China, South Korea, the Philippines, Interpol, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the Mekong–Lancang Cooperation framework — to investigate financial networks and rescue foreign victims allegedly forced to participate in scam operations.

Prime Minister Hun Manet has previously said Cambodia “is not a haven for cybercriminals,” warning that those behind such crimes would face the maximum penalties under the law.

The campaign comes amid continued international scrutiny over scam compounds operating in parts of Southeast Asia.