Cambodian authorities deported a total of 209 foreigners, including 73 South Koreans and 136 from Myanmar, back to their countries of origin on January 23. — THE PHNOM PENH POST/ANN Photo

PHNOM PENH — Cambodia has deported more than 200 foreign nationals linked to online scam operations as part of an intensified, regionally coordinated crackdown on cross-border cybercrime.

The recent deportations, carried out on January 23, involved 209 foreigners, including 73 from the Republic of Korea (RoK) and 136 from Myanmar, who were sent back to their home countries for further legal procedures, according to the Cambodan General Department of Immigration under the Ministry of Interior.

Cambodian authorities said those deported included both suspected perpetrators and victims of technology-based fraud, underscoring the complex nature of online scam networks that often rely on trafficking and coercion.

The operation was conducted in coordination with relevant foreign governments to ensure follow-up legal action and victim protection, according to Cambodian officials.

The latest move is reportedly part of a broader government effort to dismantle cyber scam syndicates operating across borders and to prevent Cambodia from being used as a base for transnational crime.

The Cambodian interior ministry described the deportations as “a firm application of Cambodian law aimed at eliminating technology-based crime, protecting public safety at both national and global levels, and holding ringleaders accountable, without exception”.

Authorities said the operations have also helped rescue victims who were deceived or forced into scam activities and facilitated their safe return home.

The scale of the crackdown has expanded significantly in recent weeks.

From January 1 to January 22, Cambodia deported a total of 1,620 foreigners of 21 nationalities, including Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Pakistani, Indonesian, RoK and Myanmar nationals.

Over the past seven months, Cambodia's operations against online scam activities have led to the arrest of 5,106 suspects from 23 nationalities, with 4,534 deported to their countries of origin.

Cambodian courts have also pursued major cases linked to cyber fraud, handling 37 large-scale cases and sentencing 172 ringleaders and accomplices, authorities said.

Officials reiterated that the campaign against online scams remains ongoing and involves close cooperation among Cambodian ministries, specialised law enforcement units and international partners.

They emphasised that strict legal measures will continue to be applied against those behind cyber scam operations, while efforts to identify and assist victims will remain a priority. — THE PHNOM PENH POST/ANN