Phnom Penh, September 23, 2025 – Cambodian authorities have charged three South Korean nationals with leading an organised online fraud ring following a series of raids across Phnom Penh last week. The case has cast fresh light on Southeast Asia’s growing struggle with cross-border cybercrime networks.
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court confirmed that Sin Song Hun (48), Song Eungyu (21), and Park Yeongun (26) were placed in pre-trial detention on charges of “aggravated fraud committed by an organised group.” The three were transferred to Correctional Centre M1, under the Ministry of Interior, while the investigation continues.
The arrests stem from coordinated raids carried out on September 17 in the capital’s Tuol Kork and Sen Sok districts. According to the General Department of Immigration, authorities apprehended a total of 48 suspects linked to the operation. Among them were 33 South Korean nationals, alongside Cambodian and Vietnamese citizens. Following questioning, Cambodian officials determined that most of the South Koreans were not ringleaders but operatives or victims coerced into the scheme. As a result, 33 individuals were deported to South Korea earlier this week, while the three alleged leaders remain in custody.
Police seized multiple laptops, smartphones, and other digital devices believed to have been used to run fraudulent online platforms targeting foreign victims. Passports belonging to the detainees were also confiscated. Investigators said the network operated sophisticated scams designed to extract money through fake investment opportunities and online relationships.
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Major General Keo Vanthan, spokesman for the General Department of Immigration, stressed that Cambodia is stepping up its crackdown on transnational fraud syndicates. “These organised networks are a threat to both Cambodia’s reputation and international security. We will continue cooperating with foreign governments to dismantle such operations,” he told local media.
The case highlights a growing pattern of foreign-run cybercrime operations setting up in Cambodia and neighbouring countries, often exploiting vulnerable workers and weak regulatory oversight. In 2023 and 2024, similar raids in Sihanoukville and Bavet dismantled compounds holding hundreds of trafficked workers forced to conduct online scams.
For Seoul, the incident underscores ongoing concerns about South Korean nationals becoming entangled in illicit networks abroad. South Korea’s embassy in Phnom Penh confirmed it is providing consular support to those repatriated and monitoring the legal proceedings against the three men held in Cambodia. As the trial proceeds, Cambodian authorities have pledged stronger enforcement against organised online fraud, aiming to send a clear message to international syndicates seeking to operate from within the country’s borders.
