About 200 Chinese nationals were arrested in Phnom Penh on Wednesday evening as police continued to crack down on suspected fraudsters accused of operating an extortion scheme using internet voice call technology, officials said.
The suspects, who were allegedly extorting money from people living in China, were arrested at a condominium building in Tuol Kok district’s Boeng Kak II commune at about 5 p.m., said Y Sok Khy, director of the Interior Ministry’s anti-terrorism police department.
“We collected some of their equipment and now we are counting and questioning them,” Mr. Sok Khy said, adding they were detained at the anti-terrorism department.
Thou Saroeun, deputy director of the department, said on Thursday that 225 Chinese nationals were arrested.
Wang Dexin, head of the political section of the Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh, said he did not have information about Wednesday’s arrests.
There has been a spate of similar cases recently. Last month, 24 Chinese nationals and seven Taiwanese citizens were arrested in three Phnom Penh districts for an alleged fraud also involving Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology.
Another 74 Chinese scammers were deported to China after being arrested in Cambodia following tip-offs from Chinese authorities.
Earlier this month, 200 Chinese nationals were arrested in Poipet City for their alleged involvement in the same type of scam.
They were still being detained at the Siem Reap provincial immigration detention center, Uk Heisela, chief of investigations of the Interior Ministry’s immigration department, said on Wednesday.
The operation involved extorting women in China after persuading them to send nude photographs of themselves, an official said earlier this month.
(Additional reporting by Matt Surrusco)
