Cambodia will not tolerate telecommunications fraud or allow criminal groups to use the country as a safe haven, says Senate President Hun Sen, as authorities intensify a nationwide crackdown on cross-border scam networks.
The official made the remarks during a meeting in Phnom Penh with South Korea’s newly appointed ambassador to Cambodia, Kim Changyong.
According to The Cambodia China Times, Hun Sen said the recent high-intensity enforcement actions against telecom and online fraud are intended to send a clear message to criminal groups that Cambodia is “not a refuge for criminals, but their hell.”
He said the ongoing operations reflect the Cambodian government’s firm and uncompromising stance against transnational crime. Cambodia, Hun Sen stressed, will not permit any criminal organization to use its territory as a hiding place or as a base for illegal activities, particularly those linked to telecommunications fraud.
During the meeting, Hun Sen and the South Korean ambassador discussed cooperation on combating telecom fraud and other forms of cross-border crime. His comments come amid stepped-up law enforcement efforts targeting online scam syndicates operating within Cambodia.
Hun Sen, who served as Cambodia’s prime minister for nearly four decades, is widely regarded as the country’s most influential political figure. He emphasized that the government is determined to dismantle criminal networks and prevent Cambodia from being associated with illicit activities that undermine regional security and international confidence.
The issue of scam operations targeting South Korean nationals has drawn particular attention in South Korea, where authorities have raised concerns about citizens being lured or exploited overseas.
In recent years, South Koreans have been drawn into online scam hubs, particularly in Cambodia’s large fraud compounds, where false job offers have lured some into forced work involving romance, investment, and so-called “pig-butchering” scams.
In response, South Korea has issued travel advisories, carried out repatriations, and expanded law enforcement cooperation with Cambodia. Dozens of South Korean nationals suspected of involvement in online fraud have been returned home for investigation, while the two countries have intensified joint efforts to dismantle cross-border scam networks.
