PHNOM PENH: Cambodian authorities have rescued 661 scam victims in the country during the first 10 months of the year and arrested 281 suspects for involvement in human trafficking.
Cambodian Interior Ministry spokesman General Khieu Sopheak said police received 536 reports that were filed via Interior Minister Sar Kheng's Facebook page and acted on them.
He said police investigated and have solved 137 cases while many others are still under investigations.
According to the Khmer Times, he said 82 of the 281 suspects will be charged in court while five companies have been closed and four had their operations suspended pending investigations.
Preah Sihanouk province police chief Major General Chuon Narin said Kheng had previously asked foreign missions in Cambodia and law enforcement agencies of foreign countries to share intelligence on human trafficking and transnational crimes so that swift and effective action can be taken.
"Cambodia remains committed to complying with applicable laws to combat fraud and technology extortion, drug offences, money laundering and illegal online gambling.
"But we need the foreign authorities, especially their law enforcement agencies, to provide support and assistance to Cambodian authorities so that action can be taken against the syndicates and victims can be rescued.
"I have not yet summarised the reports related to the crackdown on human trafficking in Preah Sihanouk province, but we are continuing our crackdowns.
"Our campaign is to track, rescue victims, and prevent all these crimes," Maj Gen Narin said.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered a nationwide crackdown on illegal gambling in September and warned that officials who failed to do so will be removed from their posts.
He ordered governors, provincial and district officials, police and the military, to go all out to stamp out the menace.
Cambodia's illegal gambling businesses and scams linked to them have been drawing headlines across the region as various countries reported that many have been tricked into working for these syndicates after being lured with lucrative salaries.
Meanwhile, Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC) executive director Ros Sotha said Cambodian authorities have tried to prevent such crimes, but were yet to effectively solve the problem.
He said authorities needed to ensure that law enforcement officers have the integrity and professionalism to carry out their duty to stamp out this menace.
He added that corrupt officers have emboldened criminals and coupled with the use of modern technology by the perpetrators, the fight against scams, human trafficking and other criminality was an uphill task for the police.
"Corruption is a major obstacle to the process of preventing and cracking down on human trafficking, illegal gambling, online fraud, and some other technology crimes. Those on the take will tip off the criminals and police efforts will be wasted.
"To the crime lords, paying off the police is a cheap way to keep their operations, where they rake in millions of dollars.
"Issues that have affected the suppression of crime must be examined and dealt with, otherwise there will be no end to the crime," Sotha said.
Those who want to file complaints or reports against crime in Cambodia have been urged to do so via the Facebook pages of "Samdech Krolahom Sar Kheng, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister", "General Commissariat of National Police" and "General Department of Immigration (GDI)".
Meanwhile, as the pressure of the anti-human trafficking crackdown in Cambodia continues, authorities said 263 foreigners were deported late last month after being arrested for crossing the border and staying illegally in the country.
According to the Immigration Department, they were deported between Oct 20 and 22. The foreigners comprise four nationalities - two Bangladeshis, 16 Thais, 171 Vietnamese and 74 Chinese.
They had been detained for various offences such as illegal border crossing, being without a passport, stealing, staying and working illegally in violation of immigration laws. All those deported are banned from entering Cambodia again for three years.