Observers say that if Cambodia strengthens enforcement of anti-crime and anti-money laundering laws, international criminal groups operating across Southeast Asia would likely be deterred from using the country as a safe haven.
Sek Socheat, a development and policy analyst, told The Cambodia Daily that the recognition or dismissal of online fraud and money laundering networks by global and ASEAN leaders is their own decision. However, he stressed that the key issue for Cambodia is whether it can effectively arrest and expel criminal suspects crossing in from neighboring Thailand.
Sek Socheat noted that Prime Minister Hun Sen’s recent remarks suggest Cambodian authorities have long been aware of criminal groups entering the country from Thailand. He questioned why immigration and border police had failed to block these entries and urged the government to review their performance.
The analyst called on Cambodian authorities to act decisively against criminal groups that have reportedly relocated from Bangkok and are now based in Cambodia. He said dismantling their operations is vital to ensure national security and preserve Cambodia’s international reputation.
His comments follow a Facebook post by Hun Sen on July 13, referencing an interview broadcast on Thai television on July 9. In the interview, former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra claimed that major online fraud syndicates are operating freely in Bangkok, staying in luxury apartments and moving in and out of neighboring countries with ease.
Hun Sen alleged that these syndicates, many of which are involved in illegal money laundering, have spread across Thailand, with Bangkok becoming a hub for such criminal operations.
He added that some criminal figures have since entered Cambodia, with Thailand serving as a key transit point and distribution hub for narcotics flowing from the Golden Triangle.
Hun Sen called on ASEAN and global leaders to recognize Thaksin Shinawatra’s claims and the growing presence of illicit criminal networks in Thailand.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has also reported a significant rise in drug production and trafficking in the Golden Triangle, the border region shared by Myanmar, Laos and Thailand.
