Some 171 Vietnamese workers were rescued in Oddar Meanchey and returned to the country, VnExpress said over the weekend.
Samraong city’s O’Smach commune — especially its border casino area near Thailand — has become the target of increased scrutiny following human trafficking raids on scam compounds in Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh.
Two major casinos in the town, O’Smach Resort and Royal Hill Resort, are licensed by Senator Ly Yong Phat’s family and oknha Lim Heng.
Last week, police said they had rescued 75 foreign workers from a compound in O’Smach, while downplaying the incident as “normal.”
VnExpress said 171 people had been rescued on October 11 and 17 after being “coerced into working for an online gambling company in Samrong City.”
“Most of these people were lured to Cambodia and forced to scam Vietnamese people online,” the news site said.
More than 600 Vietnamese citizens have returned home after escaping or being rescued from illegal establishments in Cambodia, it said.
— Michael Dickison
19 Hong Kong Residents Rescued
A Hong Kong resident was safely returned from Cambodia after requesting help from the city’s immigration department, its security bureau said on Sunday.
The Hong Kong government said it was the 19th resident returned by the city’s task force, and urged people to contact the immigration department if they know or have received information of victims in need of help.
It listed the following contact details:
- WhatsApp hotline: 5190 8909
- Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit: (852) 1868
- Immigration department’s smartphone app.
- Online Assistance Request Form.
Thousands of foreign workers have been removed from Cambodian compounds that have perpetrated global scams after calling out for help for many months. Hundreds of human trafficking cases have been found amid forced labor, violence and torture.
Police raids in recent weeks have targeted Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh, though compounds have also been found in Kandal, Oddar Meanchey, Pursat, Siem Reap and Svay Rieng.
— Michael Dickison
