Cambodian Government Aims to Eradicate Special Fraud by April, Strengthening Crackdown on Foreigners
The Cambodian government has set a goal to eradicate special fraud by April, intensifying crackdowns as foreigners flee from scam operations.
Under increasing international pressure regarding special fraud operations based in Southeast Asia, the Cambodian government has announced a goal to eradicate these scams by April. In response to this crackdown, many foreign nationals are escaping from the fraud bases that have recently been targeted in large-scale operations. Human rights organizations have raised concerns, emphasizing that many of these foreigners were forced to participate in fraudulent activities, thus calling for appropriate protections for them. In January, the Cambodian government arrested the chairman of the Prince Group, Chen Zhi, who was implicated in numerous internet scams targeting people globally. Following his arrest, the government revoked his citizenship and deported him to China, showcasing the government's commitment to addressing these issues amidst increasing scrutiny from international authorities. Notably, U.S. agencies also imposed sanctions on the Prince Group last year, marking a significant escalation in the global efforts to combat these crimes. According to reports from Reuters, Cambodia's Minister of Foreign Affairs explained that the efforts to eradicate special fraud were not concluding with Chen's arrest, reiterating a commitment to ongoing action against these scams. The Cambodian government aims to achieve its goal of completely dismantling special fraud operations by April, which underscores the seriousness of this issue amidst the backdrop of heightened international cooperation against such crimes.