REPORTS from Cambodia and Laos where more than 1,000 China's nationals were deported for committing crimes might give reason for other Asean capitals to heighten monitoring on foreigners activities in their respective jurisdiction.
These reports were made by China embassies in both countries, lauding good cooperation between Chinese and local authorities.
In Phnom Penh, the China embassy has described effective enforcement collaboration led to deportations of more than 1,000 Chinese nationals from Cambodia this year.
In a Facebook post, the China embassy here praised the results of 2019 as the year of law enforcement cooperation between the two countries.
“Over the past year, with close cooperation between police officers of both countries, Cambodian police have arrested more than 1,000 Chinese suspects in connection with online gambling, prostitution, drugs, and other crimes and they have been deported,” it said.
As for Cambodia's national Police spokesman, Lieutenant General Chhay Kim Khoeun, the impact of the cooperation is proof that the Cambodian and Chinese governments work well together.
“We signed an MoU on law enforcement cooperation between Cambodia’s Interior Ministry and China’s Public Security Ministry on March 29, 2019,” Lt Gen Kim Khoeun was quoted as saying by The Khmer Times yesterday.
Kim Khoeun further stressed that strong action by the local authorities was needed in terms of tackling crimes by Chinese nationals as they can affect relations of both countries.
A recent police report estimated that around 250,000 Chinese nationals are living and working in the Kingdom, including about 100,000 each in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville.
Meanwhile, the China embassy in Laos has urged locals to be wary of groups of Chinese scammers following the deportation of 137 Chinese nationals this week.
The Laotian Times reported that they were arrested and deported for being involved in a so called “boiler room” type call center operation.
Chinese officials chartered two planes at Wattay Airport to repatriate the fraudsters, in cooperation with Lao officers from the Foreigner Control Department, a police unit under the Ministry of Public Security.
The embassy warned that the scammers have been found offering food or cigarettes laced with sleep-inducing drugs to steal their victim belongings and valuables.
The embassy further warned that residents of Laos should exercise caution, and should not accept any gifts from strangers.
Chinese residents and visitors to Laos have been making headlines recently after the discovery of graffiti in Chinese language on several sacred sites in Luang Prabang.
In another case, a group of Chinese nationals beat a Lao motorist in a traffic disagreement.