Cambodia detains 82 Chinese in Phnom Penh

Cambodian police detained 82 Chinese nationals and one Vietnamese suspect at Prince Central Plaza in Phnom Penh on May 17 in what authorities described as an alleged online scam operation. Police also seized 77 desktop computers, 36 laptops and about 800 mobile phones, according to officials cited in reports on the raid. The operation adds to a widening Cambodian crackdown on cyberfraud centers, many of which authorities say are staffed by foreign nationals. The detainees were taken into custody as investigators continued to examine the site and the equipment recovered there. ### Where did the raid happen, and what was seized? Prince Central Plaza is a commercial property in Phnom Penh linked to Prince Group’s real-estate portfolio. The May 17 operation targeted the site as police searched for evidence of online scam activity, according to the preliminary details circulated by officials and watchdog accounts tracking scam-center raids. (en.freshnewsasia.com) The seizure list was unusually large for a single Phnom Penh location: 77 desktop computers, 36 laptops and about 800 mobile phones. Those figures are consistent with the kind of device-heavy evidence Cambodian authorities have displayed in other cyberfraud raids this year, including operations in Phnom Penh and border provinces. ### How does this fit into Cambodia’s broader anti-scam campaign? (princeholdinggroup.com) Cambodia has been carrying out repeated raids on alleged scam compounds since mid-2025, and officials have said the campaign intensified in 2026. Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith said in March that authorities had targeted 250 suspected locations since July and shut down about 200 of them. (cambojanews.com) By March 14, more than 5,770 people suspected of involvement in online scams had been detained this year, according to Interior Ministry spokesperson Touch Sokhak, as cited by the Phnom Penh Post. Sokhak said 98 locations had been raided in that period, with 66 of them in Phnom Penh alone, and that 4,407 detainees had been transferred to immigration authorities for deportation proceedings. (abc.net.au) On Jan. 31, Cambodian police detained 2,044 foreigners in a large raid on a compound in Bavet, including 1,792 mainland Chinese nationals, according to the interior ministry statement reported by Channel News Asia. That operation was described as the largest since Cambodia launched its latest nationwide push against online fraud. (phnompenhpost.com) ### Why are so many of the detainees foreign nationals? Chinese nationals have formed the largest single group in many of Cambodia’s recent scam-center detentions. Touch Sokhak said in March that 3,438 of the 5,770 people detained in 2026 anti-scam operations up to that point were Chinese nationals, followed by 1,166 Vietnamese and 400 Cambodians. (channelnewsasia.com) Cambodian authorities have said many detainees are processed through immigration channels while alleged organizers are sent to court. In January, the Commission for Combating Technology Crimes said 4,983 suspects from 23 countries had been detained in raids during the last six months of 2025, while 4,039 illegal foreigners were deported and 168 alleged masterminds and accomplices were put into judicial procedures in 35 cases. (phnompenhpost.com) ### What legal tools are Cambodian authorities using now? Cambodian lawmakers on March 30 unanimously adopted a law specifically targeting online scam operations, with penalties that can run up to life imprisonment in the most serious cases, according to the Associated Press. The law created a dedicated legal framework for scam-center offenses, including harsher penalties where cases involve trafficking, confinement, violence or death. (phnompenhpost.com) Justice Minister Keut Rith told lawmakers that the crimes threatened public security and damaged Cambodia’s international reputation, the AP reported. The legislation was part of the government’s stated effort to dismantle an industry that has drawn sustained scrutiny from foreign governments, rights groups and researchers. ### What happens next for the detainees from Prince Central Plaza? (sfgate.com) Investigators said the case was continuing on May 17, and the next steps are likely to follow the pattern used in other recent Cambodian scam cases: screening by police, transfer of immigration offenders for deportation, and court action against suspects identified as organizers or operators. Phnom Penh Post reporting this month showed courts have already opened criminal cases against Chinese and Cambodian suspects in separate scam and money-laundering investigations. (sfgate.com) In the coming days, Cambodian authorities are likely to say whether any of the Prince Central Plaza detainees will be charged, deported or referred to prosecutors. Official updates on comparable cases have come from the Interior Ministry, Phnom Penh police and Cambodian court statements. (phnompenhpost.com)