Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Chinese arrested after radio report

Chinese arrested after radio report

Chinese arrested after radio report

Immigration Police who burst into a Phnom Penh apartment building on Saturday morning expecting to find a Chinese VoIP scam based on reports from a local radio station didn’t find any evidence of an extortion ring. They did, however, discover 29 Chinese nationals living in Cambodia illegally who will now be deported, officials said yesterday.

Uk Hai Sela, director of the General Department of Immigration, said police became concerned after hearing an interview on ABC Radio with a caller who claimed that a female friend had been beaten and extorted for money by a group of Chinese nationals.

Hai Sela said that when police showed up to investigate, they found no evidence of a VoIP scheme – online extortion rings run by Chinese nationals and routinely busted in the Kingdom – but did discover a group of 50 Chinese nationals who were living or working in Cambodia illegally.

According to Hai Sela, 21 of the Chinese nationals had valid e-visas but did not have work permits and will be made to pay fines. Many had been in Cambodia for a year, he said.

Twenty-nine others were unable to produce passports and will be deported.

He said police also found the woman who had allegedly been beaten and extorted, but discovered she was in a romantic relationship with one of the Chinese nationals and had asked a friend to call the radio station to report him because they had quarrelled the day before.

Hai Sela criticised both the caller and ABC Radio for alarming the police and the public.

“The presenters at the radio station, when they got the information, they said it in a panic-inducing way that made us worried about the victim,” Hai Sela said. “It wastes the time of those coming to do business in Cambodia and the police’s time.”

MOST VIEWED

  • Ministry taking steps over Thai ‘replica’ of Angkor Wat

    The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts has dispatched experts to inspect the ongoing construction of a temple in Wat Phu Man Fah, located in Thailand’s Buriram province. This temple appears to be a replica of Cambodia’s renowned Angkor Wat. The ministry said

  • Ream base allegations must end, urges official

    A senior government official urges an end to the allegations and suspicions surrounding the development of Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, now that Prime Minister Hun Manet has addressed the issue on the floor of the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78). Jean-Francois Tain, a geopolitical

  • CP denied registration documents by ministry

    The Ministry of Interior will not reissue registration documents to the Candlelight Party (CP). Following a September 21 meeting between ministry secretary of state Bun Honn and CP representatives, the ministry cited the fact that there is no relevant law which would authorise it to do

  • PM to open new Siem Reap int’l airport December 1

    Prime Minister Hun Manet and Chinese leaders would jointly participate in the official opening of the new Chinese-invested Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport on December 1. The airport symbolises a new page in the history of Cambodian aviation, which will be able to welcome long-distance flights to

  • Minimum wage set at $204, after Sep 28 vote

    The minimum wage for factory workers in the garment, footwear and travel goods industries for 2024 has been decided at $204 per month, with the government contributing $2. Following several negotiation sessions, the tripartite talks reached an agreement during a September 28 vote, with 46 of 51 votes supporting the $202 figure.

  • Cambodian diaspora laud Manet’s UN Assembly visit

    Members of the Cambodian diaspora are rallying in support of Prime Minister Hun Manet’s forthcoming visit to the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78) in the US’ New York City this week. Their move is an apparent response to a recent call by self-exiled former