Cambodian authorities deported 635 Thai nationals accused of involvement in large-scale online scam operations as part of an intensified crackdown. Police raids in the border city of Poipet uncovered thousands of mobile phones and hundreds of computer monitors, and investigators say many devices pointed to gambling and fraud sites targeting Thailand. The action followed U.S. sanctions on a Cambodian senator and his firm for alleged links to scam compounds, and comes amid broader allegations of official complicity that the government denies.
Cambodia Deports 635 Thais in Major Crackdown on Multibillion-Dollar Cyberscam Rings
A general view shows the Poipet International border checkpoint between Cambodia and Thailand in 2025 (TANG CHHIN Sothy)(TANG CHHIN Sothy/AFP/AFP)
Cambodian authorities on Thursday deported 635 Thai nationals accused of working in illegal online businesses and transnational cyberscam networks, Information Minister Neth Pheaktra told AFP. The move is part of a wider campaign to dismantle large-scale scam operations that have proliferated in the country in recent years.
What Officials Say
The government says Cambodia has become a base for syndicates that operate romance frauds, fake cryptocurrency investment schemes and other online scams that target victims worldwide. Some people working at these sites are alleged willing participants, while others are said to have been trafficked or coerced.
Minister Neth Pheaktra said the 635 Thai nationals were deported via a border checkpoint and that another 30 suspects remain in Cambodian custody and are being processed on alleged criminal charges. Authorities also reported having detained or deported more than 13,000 foreign nationals linked to online scams since early last year.
Raids and Seizures
Police searched a condominium in Poipet, on the Thai border, recovering nearly 4,700 mobile phones and more than 400 computer monitors. Officials said examinations of electronic devices uncovered numerous online gambling sites and other platforms that appeared to target customers in Thailand.
Cambodian police also raided another suspected scam compound in Poipet the previous week, detaining a number of foreigners, most of whom were reported to be Chinese nationals.
International Concern and Sanctions
The raids came shortly after the United States announced sanctions on Cambodian senator and businessman Kok An. The U.S. Treasury alleged Kok An’s company, Crown Resorts, owns casinos and properties — including buildings in Poipet — that were converted into compounds used by criminal organizations to carry out digital asset investment fraud and other scams.
According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the global cyberscam industry has reached “industrial proportions,” with estimated annual revenues of up to $64 billion.
Human rights monitors and independent experts have accused some Cambodian officials of complicity in these operations — allegations the government denies. Cambodian authorities say they have taken steps to clear out illegal facilities and to deport or detain foreign nationals involved in online scams.
Numbers at a glance: 635 Thais deported; ~30 suspects in custody; 13,000+ foreign nationals detained or deported since early last year; 240,000+ people reported to have left Cambodia voluntarily between January and April after being linked to scam activity; nearly 4,700 phones and 400+ monitors seized in a Poipet condo raid.
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