Cambodia shuts over 700 cyberscam locations

Cambodian authorities have taken action against over 700 cybercrime locations and deported 58,266 foreign nationals in the past year, according to a government statement released on Friday. The crackdown targeted online scam centers, primarily involved in fake romantic relationship schemes and cryptocurrency investment scams, which have become a hub for crime syndicates in the country.

Authorities reported detaining nearly 30,000 suspects, including 15 high-ranking officials and law enforcement officers, over the past year.

The Southeast Asian nation acknowledged that while large-scale sites have been cleared, criminal groups have adapted their tactics to decentralized, small-scale operations, hiding in various locations such as guesthouses, condominiums, rental houses, vehicles, and coffee shops. Notable extraditions include Chen Zhi, the Chinese-born chairman of the multi-billion-dollar Cambodian conglomerate Prince Holding Group, and Li Xiong, the Chinese-born former chairman of Huione Group.

Li is accused by Beijing of playing a key role in a major transnational gambling and fraud syndicate.