Cambodia no ‘safe haven’ for scams, prime minister tells anti-fraud summit

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet asserted on Wednesday that Cambodia would not serve as a safe haven for international scam syndicates during the opening of a global anti-fraud summit in Phnom Penh. The conference, attended by delegates from over a dozen countries, including the United States and China, aims to showcase Cambodia's efforts to combat the multibillion-dollar scam industry.

Prime Minister Hun Manet emphasized that Cambodia would not tolerate criminal syndicates undermining the nation's progress and the livelihood of more than 17 million Cambodians, pledging support for international cooperation, including real-time intelligence sharing. However, some analysts remain skeptical, noting that raids have reportedly left high-level figures unscathed.

The conference signifies a growing willingness to cooperate, according to Delphine Schantz, regional representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, but more needs to be done at both the national and international levels. Cambodia, along with other Southeast Asian nations, has emerged as a hub for transnational cyberscam industry, with Chinese-led criminal gangs operating compounds where victims are coerced into participating in various scams.

Despite the government's claims of successfully dismantling industrial-scale scam compounds, analysts and opposition figures argue that politically connected individuals connected to the networks have eluded prosecution while criminal groups have adapted by breaking into smaller units and relocating operations overseas. The credibility of Cambodia's crackdown on scams hinges on whether the state is willing to investigate all credible allegations, regardless of the wealth, influence, or official position of those involved, according to Mu Sochua, an exiled opposition politician.