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More than 100 Chinese arrested for alleged telecommunications fraud

Immigration police round up dozens of reportedly Chinese nationals participating in telecommunications fraud in Phnom Penh. Photo supplied.
Immigration police on Monday round up dozens of reportedly Chinese nationals participating in telecommunications fraud in Phnom Penh. Photo supplied.

More than 100 Chinese arrested for alleged telecommunications fraud

Police arrested more than 100 Chinese nationals for telecommunications fraud in Phnom Penh in two separate raids on Monday, according to immigration police.

Uk Hai Sela, director of investigations for the Immigration Department, confirmed that 119 men and women were rounded up in the capital’s Tuol Kork and Sen Sok districts.

The department received help from the Phnom Penh Municipal Court prosecutor and the National Police “to check on the illegal online games and VoIP [voice over Internet protocol] crime”, Hai Sela confirmed in a message.

Immigration officials have deported hundreds of Chinese nationals for operating such scams over the years, which have in the past involved extorting victims in mainland China. Another 100 suspects were arrested in March, with 200 arrested in August 2017 for a similar scheme.

Of the 70 suspects arrested in Toul Kork and the 49 in Sen Sok, none had passports. Police did not specify whether any suspects were Taiwanese. The Kingdom has previously been criticised for deporting Taiwanese nationals to China.

Of the 70 suspects arrested in Toul Kork and the 49 in Sen Sok, none had passports. Police did not specify whether any suspects were Taiwanese. The Kingdom has previously been criticised for deporting Taiwanese nationals to China.

Hai Sela said the suspects are all currently being questioned.

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