Cambodian Gov't Urged To Prosecute, Seize Properties Of Officials Involved In Online Scams

PHNOM PENH, May 24 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Sunday urged the government to arrest, prosecute, and seize the properties of any officials involved in online scams, reported Xinhua.

“Cracking down on online scams must go hand in hand with penalising implicated officials and dismissing those who defy orders,” he said in a special message.

Implicated officials must be sent to court for prosecution and property seizure, he said, adding that any provincial governors, military police chiefs, and police chiefs who have failed to execute orders must be removed from their positions.

"You will not succeed by only cracking down on online scammers without targeting complicit officials and those who fail to execute orders," he said.

Hun Sen, who is also president of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), also urged the government to question arrested online scam suspects about how they were able to enter Cambodia without a passport.

Cambodia has been committed to eradicating all online scam centres.

From July 2025 to mid-April 2026, the Southeast Asian country raided more than 250 online scam centres, including 91 casinos, for operating online scams, said a government statement.

The authorities had carried out procedures to deport a total of 13,039 foreign nationals involved in online scams, the statement said.

The kingdom on April 6 enacted the law on combating online scams, which will deliver up to 30 years or life imprisonment to scam bosses.  

-- BERNAMA-XINHUA