Eighteen people accused of extortion were arrested in a guesthouse in Kep province’s Damnak Changaur district on Tuesday afternoon, the provincial police chief said yesterday.

The suspects – nine Chinese and nine Taiwanese – allegedly obtained money from people in China and Taiwan via phone scams using voice over internet phone calls (VoIP), Brigadier General Ing Sam Ol, the Kep police chief, said.

“They seldom left their rooms except when one or two of them went out to buy food,” he said. “We suspect they were hiding in Kep and belong to a group of Chinese and Taiwanese scammers.”

Major Taem Panha Mon, district police chief, said the suspects, some without passports, had stayed in the guesthouse since Friday.

“Police have seized several VoIP telephones, mobile phones and other related materials in their rooms,” he said.

The scam involves placing what appear to be local calls and tricking the recipient into sending money. The suspects will be sent to the provincial court today.