Vietnamese citizens were returned at the Hoa Lư International Border Gate on July 30. — VNA/VNS Photo

ĐỒNG NAI — Việt Nam on Wednesday received from Cambodian authorities a total of 85 Vietnamese citizens that were detained by Cambodian law enforcement during raids on scam centres.

The handover ceremony was held at the Hoa Lư International Border Gate by the Đồng Nai Provincial Military Command, in coordination with relevant agencies.

Previously, on July 23, 2025, the Vietnamese Embassy worked with Cambodian authorities to interview and verify the identities of the 85 Vietnamese citizens who had been temporarily detained in Kratie Province for alleged involvement in online scams and criminal activities. The detention followed a nationwide crackdown on online fraud launched under the directive of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet.

The ceremony for handover of 85 Vietnamese citizens at Hoa Lư International Border Gate on July 30. — VNA/VNS Photo

Initial interviews and verification processes revealed that the 85 citizens come from 22 cities and provinces all across Việt Nam, including: Đồng Nai, HCM City, Cần Thơ, Thanh Hóa, Lào Cai, Đồng Tháp, Đắk Lắk, Hưng Yên, Khánh Hòa, Tây Ninh, Vĩnh Long, Quảng Ninh, An Giang, Cà Mau, Quảng Trị, Phú Thọ, Lâm Đồng, Nghệ An, Hải Phòng, Sơn La, Gia Lai, and Ninh Bình.

The Đồng Nai Provincial Military Command has conducted verification and classification of the individuals and carried out necessary reception procedures. The provincial Department of Health also conducted health checks for the returnees.

Earlier, the Đồng Nai authorities had instructed the provincial police to coordinate with relevant agencies and the localities where the 85 individuals reside to verify their identities, and to dispatch a task force to facilitate the reception process.

Đồng Nai Province has also directed the police to coordinate with relevant bodies to investigate and strictly handle individuals and organisations involved in online scam operations, particularly those luring Vietnamese citizens with false promises of "easy, high-paying online jobs". Such schemes often lead to illegal border crossings into the so-called online scam centres or disguised casinos in Cambodia. — VNS