The Ministry of Interior on Saturday deported more than 100 Indonesian nationals accused of illegal gambling, police officials said yesterday.

The group of 114 Indonesians, arrested in Phnom Penh last week on suspicion of running a football-betting network for more than a year, were deported to Indonesia via Phnom Penh International Airport, Chhay Sinarith, director of the ministry’s internal security department, said.

“We deported all of them back to their country and we finished our responsibility,” Sinarith said.

Police had been investigating the gambling ring’s alleged operators after their arrest last week, but following negotiations with Indonesia, authorities decided to deport them rather than proceed with charges in Cambodia, Sinarith said.

He declined to comment on plans for the deportees once they reached Indonesia.

Indonesian embassy officials said they were unable to provide further information, and the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs could not be reached for comment.

To contact the reporter on this story: Vong Sokheng at [email protected]

With assistance from Justine Drennan