KUALA LUMPUR - Cambodia has launched a nationwide crackdown on online scam operations, taking a firm zero-tolerance approach against cross-border digital fraud.

At a briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Senior Minister and head of the Secretariat of the Commission for Combating Online Scams (CCOS), H.E. Santepundit Chhay Sinarith, updated representatives from 26 embassies and the European Union on the government’s latest enforcement efforts, last Wednesday.

Since June 2025, authorities have stepped up operations under the direct supervision of Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet.

Sinarith said joint task forces had raided about 2,500 locations and dismantled 200 major online fraud cases.

Authorities also seized 10,444 computers and 36,476 smartphones, processed more than 8,000 foreign nationals for deportation and permanently shut down over 200 premises, including casinos converted into scam centres.

Officials estimated that more than 210,000 foreign nationals had left Cambodia voluntarily as enforcement tightened, while several suspected ringleaders remain under investigation after fleeing.

The Ministry of Justice reported that courts have handled cases involving more than 500 individuals, including key suspects in the Chen Zhi and Oknha Ly Kuong cases as well as other foreign-led syndicates.

Police have also worked with international partners to rescue victims who were trafficked into scam compounds and forced to work for criminal groups.

Sinarith expressed appreciation to 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 for their technical and operational support.

However, he stressed that more work remains and called for continued international cooperation in specialised training to combat transnational crime, advanced forensic tools and joint efforts to track illegal financial flows.

The government is also speeding up a Draft Law on Counter-Cybercrime, which is under inter-ministerial review and aims to introduce strict penalties to prevent future digital crimes and ensure a safer online environment.

Reaffirming the government’s stance, Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet has said that Cambodia will not serve as a sanctuary for cybercriminals.

The administration has maintained that anyone found supporting such operations will face the full force of the law without exception or interference.