Phnom Penh — Cambodia no longer houses large-scale cybercrime centers following the clearance of over 700 crime scenes, nationwide law enforcement operations, and the establishment of a rigorous legal framework, according to a report released by the Agence Kampuchea Presse (AKP) today.
The announcement was made by His Excellency Santepundit Dr. Chhay Sinarith, Senior Minister in Charge of Special Missions and Head of the Secretariat of the Commission for Combating Online Scams (CCOS), during a briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The meeting was attended by nearly 50 foreign diplomats and representatives of international organizations in Cambodia.
Between July 2025 and August 20, 2026, specialized law enforcement units inspected 793 suspicious locations nationwide, successfully suppressing criminal activity at 624 sites and arresting nearly 30,000 suspects representing 39 nationalities. Authorities also searched and processed 169 additional locations that perpetrators had abandoned prior to the raids.
As part of the government’s rescue and enforcement operations, Cambodian authorities have assisted and repatriated 58,266 foreign nationals, including 7,282 women. Among those processed for deportation, 22,045 individuals across 38 nationalities were directly implicated in digital fraud operations.
Judicial proceedings have been aggressively pursued against key network operators, with authorities submitting 408 criminal cases to the courts. Following judicial orders, 3,477 suspects from 29 nations—including citizens from China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Pakistan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Nepal, Yemen, Switzerland, South Africa, Kenya, Cameroon, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Kyrgyzstan, Australia, Ukraine, France, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Thai nationals—were arrested and placed in pre-trial detention. Authorities are actively pursuing an additional 855 suspects under outstanding court warrants.
To address high-level corruption and facilitation, the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) investigated four major cases, leading to the arrest of 15 senior officials and law enforcement personnel. Among those detained are a Deputy Prosecutor, a Deputy Director-General of Immigration, a Deputy Commissioner of Phnom Penh Police, a former Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and several police and military officers.
The Commercial Gambling Management Commission of Cambodia (CGMC) has simultaneously enforced strict oversight across the gaming sector. Authorities targeted 27 casinos engaged in illicit online gambling and sports betting, resulting in the complete revocation of 18 licenses and the temporary suspension of nine others.
Senior Minister Santepundit Dr. Chhay Sinarith acknowledged that while major centers have been ditsmantled, syndicate remnants have adapted by fragmenting into smaller groups operating covertly out of residential apartments, condos, rental properties, vehicles, and coffee shops. He emphasized that state forces will continue to root out these micro-operations without exception.
To sustain long-term security, Cambodia is bolstering its legal apparatus through newly enacted measures alongside draft legislation, including the Cybersecurity Law, the Information Technology Crime Law, and regulations governing virtual assets.
Cambodia will highlight these national efforts when it hosts the “International Conference on Combating Cybercrime” on September 23–24, 2026. Centered on the theme “Together Towards Breaking the Chain and Ending Cybercrime,” the event will gather government delegations, law enforcement agencies, financial institutions, and tech leaders to strengthen international cooperation against transnational digital fraud.