Cambodia pledged “drastic measures” against scam compounds in response to U.N. queries about 100,000 alleged human trafficking victims in Sihanoukville, but also denied finding any debt bondage and placed the country’s “reputation, dignity and benefits” at the top of its principles for combating the crime.
Immigration officials treated foreign businesses softly as “investors” even when they blocked labor inspections — before a series of raids confirmed hundreds of human trafficking cases across the country, the Interior Ministry said.
The interior minister warned provincial authorities against colluding with organized crime as he revealed he had received a peak of 10 human-trafficking complaints daily in August before scam crimes spread across the country.
Many guesthouses and hotels across Poipet have been fully booked out by “online” companies to house their foreign workers, turning the city into a boomtown for the hazy work.
Workers stuck inside the Grand Diamond City Casino told VOD their harrowing accounts of escaping the burning buildings, with the incident also raising serious questions about fire safety measures in the casino.
Chen Baorong, a Chinese businessperson who was at the forefront to rescue hundreds of workers from online scam operations in Cambodia, was released from Preah Sihanouk prison on Monday.
“Peace” is written across every local and central government building in Cambodia, but not always found within them. This year has been marked by episodes of abuse and corruption from government officials, as well as intimidation against whistleblowers and journalists.
A Chinese man who was jailed while leading efforts to rescue hundreds of forced scam laborers is expected to be released from Preah Sihanouk prison soon after his sentence in the “blood slave” case was reduced.
Thirty-four Indonesian nationals were rescued from Poipet after being trafficked to the country. Also, Thai police found data cables stretching across the border with Cambodia and used by scam operations in Poipet
A group of suspects is being questioned by the Preah Sihanouk Provincial Court in connection to “illegal gambling” and “money laundering” after police raided a Sihanoukville building, finding 223 foreign nationals, months after a string of similar raids on scam compounds.
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