Cambodian sweep targets Net fraud

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Police in Cambodia on Monday arrested more than 200 Chinese citizens accused of defrauding people in China over the Internet.

Gen. Y Sok Khy, director of the Interior Ministry’s Department of Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime, said 36 women were among the 235 Chinese arrested in three different villages in Takeo province south of the capital, Phnom Penh.

Online scams by Chinese gangs that operate from foreign countries and target mainland Chinese are common throughout Southeast Asia and have been found as far away as Kenya and Spain. Since 2012 Cambodia has arrested at least 1,000 suspects, all Chinese or Taiwanese residents, and sent them to China.

The scams are carried out by making phone calls over the Internet and employing deception, threats and blackmail against the victims. Placing phone calls over the Internet cuts costs and hinders tracing of the source of the calls.

Y Sok Khy said the arrests followed months of surveillance and investigation. The suspects were sent to Phnom Penh for further questioning and will be deported to China, he said.

Suspects from Taiwan are usually deported directly to China in deference to Beijing, which views Taiwan as its own territory. Taiwan rejects China’s claim to its territory and wants its citizens returned there.

A Section on 11/27/2018

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