A casino and real-estate group controlled by Cambodian tycoon Lim Heng leased buildings beside its Royal Hill Resort and Casino that were used for industrial-scale cyberfraud and human trafficking operations, according to a Reuters investigation published on July 15th.
A March 2024 agreement reviewed by the news agency showed that Royal Hill leased three buildings in its O’Smach compound to a Chinese national for two years at $200,000 per month. The report withheld the tenant’s name because it could not independently confirm his identity or establish his role, if any, in the criminal activity.
The rental price was substantially above comparable market rates. A similarly sized mixed-use building in an upscale Phnom Penh neighborhood had been advertised for $25,000 per month.
Royal Hill was one of three casinos that Lim Heng Group was reported to operate in 2022. The other two were Srangam Resort and Casino and Sai Taku Resort and Casino, according to a Khmer Times report on casino license renewals.
The leased buildings stood only tens of meters from Royal Hill and were connected to the resort by a paved road. Inside, investigators found rooms designed to resemble foreign police stations and bank branches, which former workers and Thai authorities said were used as backdrops for impersonation scams targeting victims overseas.
Other areas included acoustic-lined booths for scam calls, offices and dormitories. Thai security forces estimated that about 3,000 people had been housed in the fenced structures, which formed part of a wider 200-acre scam park.
The investigation found no evidence that Lim Heng Group was directly involved in the trafficking or fraud conducted at the site. Royal Hill did not respond to calls or emails, while questions sent to Lim Heng Group by registered post were delivered but went unanswered.
Cambodian legal experts said property owners could face prosecution if investigators established that they knew their premises were being used for criminal purposes and allowed the activity to continue.
Lim Heng Group had been alerted to possible trafficking claims by September 2024, when a company representative filed legal complaints against two Cambodian publishers that had reported foreigners were being confined at the casino compound.
The case adds to scrutiny of connections between Cambodia’s casino industry and cyberfraud operations. Amnesty International said in April that it had linked 12 licensed casinos to compounds where trafficking, forced labor, torture and other abuses had been reported, although the news agency had not independently verified that figure.
Senior Cambodian minister Chhay Sinarith said authorities were investigating alleged fraud operations around Royal Hill and remained committed to working with international partners. However, he said Thai forces should return control of the seized locations to allow the investigations to proceed.
