In one of the largest coordinated crackdowns on cybercrime in Southeast Asia, Cambodian authorities have arrested 3,075 individuals from over a dozen countries during a nationwide operation that spanned from June 27 to July 22, 2025. The sweeping raids, which targeted organised online fraud networks, were conducted across 138 different sites throughout the country.
Following official requests from Indian government agencies, such as the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the crackdown was initiated. According to Home Ministry sources who spoke to Business Today, India played a crucial part in starting the operation, which was launched in response to these requests.
The raids uncovered a sprawling network of cyberfraud compounds operating out of Phnom Penh and 16 other provinces. These illicit hubs were reportedly driven by forced labour and human trafficking, with victims coerced into executing digital scams targeting users across Asia. Cambodian authorities revealed that the 3,075 suspects taken into custody included 606 women. Among those arrested were 1,028 Chinese nationals (89 women), 693 Vietnamese (190 women), 366 Indonesians (70 women), 105 Indians (9 women), 101 Bangladeshis (27 women), 82 Thais, 81 Pakistanis, 57 South Koreans, 13 Nepalese, and 4 Malaysians. Additional detainees came from the Philippines, Laos, Russia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Mongolia, and Myanmar.
All the individuals arrested are now undergoing legal processing, with Cambodian authorities evaluating whether they will face court trials, deportation, or further investigation. Indian officials from the Ministry of External Affairs are actively coordinating efforts to deport Indian nationals who were caught up in the raids.
Also Read: Seven agents of Chinese cyber gang held in Ranchi
The large-scale operation was conducted under direct orders from Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, who had earlier instructed law enforcement and military officials to act decisively against cybercrime. His directive made it clear that failure to take action would result in dismissal. The crackdown followed the first meeting of Cambodia’s National Anti-Money Laundering Commission on June 27 and was further intensified after the Prime Minister’s order on July 15, according to an official statement issued by the Secretariat of the Commission for Combating Online Fraud.
The raids exposed the inner workings of digital scam compounds that are believed to be run by Chinese organised crime groups. Victims were often lured through fake job offers, imprisoned within these facilities, and forced to carry out large-scale cyber scams. These scams included cryptocurrency fraud, investment cons, romance traps, and impersonation of law enforcement officials in a tactic known as “digital arrest.” Fake Indian and Chinese police uniforms were among the paraphernalia seized by authorities.
Also Read: Cyber, real-world crime converging dangerously – be wary
According to estimates from the United Nations, more than 100,000 individuals may still be trapped in such scam compounds across Cambodia. During the operation, Cambodian police recovered hundreds of digital devices used in cybercrimes, as well as weapons, bullets, equipment for processing drugs, ecstasy powder, suspected narcotics, and forged law enforcement materials.
The Khmer Times reported that some of the perpetrators have already been sent to court. In Phnom Penh, 11 individuals were forwarded along with evidence, with eight of them placed under temporary detention. Seventeen Chinese nationals were transferred to a deportation staging centre in Preah Sihanouk province, with deportation procedures already underway. Authorities have sealed the raided locations to prevent any re-entry or tampering with evidence.
Also Read: Thai-Cambodian forces clash over new border dispute
Follow us
