Chou Bun Eng, Ministry of Interior secretary of state and permanent vice-chair of the National Committee for Counter Trafficking (NCCT), said the body is committed to strengthening the capacity of law enforcement officials and other frontline officers in their fight against human trafficking, especially the smuggling of migrant workers.

Speaking during a virtual inter-ministerial meeting presided over by interior minister and NCCT chairman Sar Kheng on August 12, Bun Eng said that in the first half of this year around 150,000 Cambodian migrant workers had returned, adding to the roughly 150,000 recorded last year.

Bun Eng said hardship caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has made them vulnerable to trafficking.

“We will strengthen their ability to conduct investigation and crackdown to bring criminals to justice. We will boost cooperation between judicial police and the prosecution in the investigation and collection of evidence for legal proceedings,” she said.

Sar Kheng urged all authorities and forces to work with local and international stakeholders to combat human trafficking in Cambodia.

He called on the public to join the fight through all means such as providing information about suspected crimes to the relevant authorities.

“I strongly believe that the NCCT and relevant authorities will try their best to tackle human trafficking. This work contributes to the happiness and rights of the people and also promote the nation's image,” he said.

On July 21, Bun Eng told The Post that the authorities had cracked down on 198 cases this year, compared to 63 in the first half of 2020.