Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior on November 26 has highlighted the concrete results of the Kingdom’s crackdown on online scam operations over the past three years, pushing back against a recent CNA commentary that questioned the effectiveness of these efforts.
While acknowledging the media scrutiny, the ministry said the focus should remain on the scale of ongoing operations, the unprecedented number of arrests and growing cooperation with international law-enforcement partners.
According to a ministry statement, Cambodia has intensified operations against online scam syndicates, consistently targeting both foreign suspects and local facilitators.
“In 2023, authorities arrested and deported 283 foreign nationals linked to online scam activities,” it said.
“The crackdown expanded sharply in 2024, with 2,982 foreign nationals detained and deported as part of coordinated nationwide raids,” it continued.
The ministry reported 24 cases of technology-related fraud in 2025, including 13 that were uncovered through Cambodian investigations and 11 cases handled jointly with foreign partners.
These actions led to the detention of 1,859 foreign suspects in 2025 alone.
The statement added that 11 major cases were built and sent to court, resulting in the arrest of 148 high-risk suspects, including alleged ringleaders and repeat offenders — an outcome they say directly contradicts claims that Cambodia only apprehends “small fry”.
The interior ministry underscored that international cooperation has become central to its strategy.
Cambodia continues to work with task forces from the US, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Singapore and other partners to track cross-border criminal networks.
This cooperation, it said, has strengthened Cambodia’s ability to identify scam compounds, locate trafficked workers and pursue ringleaders operating outside the country.
“Transnational crime cannot be addressed by any single country alone,” it noted, stressing that joint investigations had been essential to recent progress.
Despite the challenges posed by fast-evolving cybercrime schemes, the ministry said Cambodia will continue sustained operations throughout 2025 and beyond.
“This work remains a priority for the security of our society and for citizens of friendly countries,” it added.
