PHNOM PENH: Cambodia has urged China to further support its nationwide crackdown on illegal gambling and stem the problem of human trafficking into the country.
Cambodian Interior Minister Sar Kheng said China could provide more support by investigating and prosecuting ringleaders involved in transnational crimes, human trafficking, sex trafficking and illegal employment.
The request was made by Interior Minister Sar Kheng to Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian during the latter's visit to the National Assembly on Tuesday.
According to a report in Khmer Times, Kheng urged the Chinese side to continue supporting investigations and crack down on masterminds based in China and provide information to Cambodian authorities.
He said Cambodia will continue to work hard to research, investigate and crack down on those criminals who are operating in the country.
During their meeting, Kheng briefed Wang on the crackdown and highlighted that Cambodia was highly committed to cooperating with relevant authorities from friendly countries to tackle the menace.
He said the government had also set up a Gambling Suppression Task Force, an Investigation and Research Task Force, and a Task Force to Monitor Foreign Workers in Cambodia, among others.
"Cambodia is a country affected by the exploitation of some loopholes by syndicates to commit crimes. We are thankful for the special cooperation with the Chinese in preventing and suppressing such crimes in the past," Kheng added.
The minister had also raised this issue during the recent Asean Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime and highlighted the importance of working together to cut off criminal networks, crack down on the perpetrators and punish them according to the law.
Responding to the Cambodian minister, Wang thanked the Cambodian government for rescuing Chinese victims of human trafficking syndicates and said he supported the setting up of a working group to exchange information related to cases of transnational and other crimes.
He added that the Chinese Embassy was disseminating information on crimes to the media as well as the public and urged victims to contact Cambodian authorities through Facebook pages or hotlines.
"We appreciate the attention of the Cambodian authorities in intervening to rescue Chinese victims in the past and the positive results of this important cooperation," Wang said.
He said China was ready to provide the cooperation and suggestions to the Cambodian side to jointly fight crime as well as nab the perpetrators involved.
According to the Khmer Times report, from Monday to Wednesday, Cambodian authorities received 34 more requests to rescue a total of 94 foreigners in the country.
Interior Ministry spokesman General Khieu Sopheak said the 34 cases involved rescuing 38 Vietnamese, nine Malaysians, six Indians, one Bangladeshi, 37 Chinese and two Taiwanese.
"We have handed over all the victims to the Immigration Department for investigation and to search for relatives in accordance with legal procedures to send them back to their families," he said.
Gen Sopheak also urged foreign missions in Cambodia and other organisations and authorities to continue providing information related to human trafficking and other transnational crimes.
Meanwhile, Sar Kheng said that as of Wednesday, Cambodia has received a total of 368 requests for rescue since the crackdown started on Sept 17. About 180 of the cases have so far been investigated, with 378 victims found and 53 perpetrators arrested.
Authorities in the capital Phnom Penh have also cracked down on a total of 87 gambling centres and arrested 152 people in 12 districts since Sept 17, when the nationwide operations started after Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered them.
The crackdown targets included Vietnam lotteries, online game machines, poker places, online betting and illegal pawn shops.