(TAP) - Recently, on July 19, at the Moc Bai International Border Gate (Ben Cau Commune, Tay Ninh Province, Vietnam), the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia, in coordination with Cambodian authorities, handed over 161 Vietnamese citizens (including 28 women and 133 men) to the Border Guard and Police of Tay Ninh Province following a crackdown on online scams.
According to Tay Ninh Online Newspaper – mouthpiece of the Government, Party Committee and People of Tay Ninh province, among the 161 citizens recently handed over, 14 were rescued and 147 had previously been detained for involvement in online scam networks. Vietnamese and Cambodian authorities coordinated efforts to verify the identities of the individuals and agreed to repatriate them in the same batch.
The Vietnamese citizens were handed over by the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia and Cambodian authorities. Source: Tay Ninh Online Newspaper
These citizens came from 16 provinces and cities across Vietnam, including Tay Ninh, Bac Ninh, Phu Tho, Hanoi, Dak Lak, Ninh Binh, Thai Nguyen, Hung Yen, Lai Chau, Tuyen Quang, Dong Nai, Lam Dong, Thanh Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Thap, and Lang Son. Most of them were undocumented migrant workers who had been lured or forced to work for criminal organizations. Their tasks often involved impersonating power company employees, tax officers, or cyber security personnel to scam people via phone calls or social media. Those who failed to meet "targets" or resisted orders were subjected to beatings, starvation, and even electric shocks as torture. Currently, 89 individuals in the group who exited the country illegally are being investigated and handled by Tay Ninh Border Guard authorities in accordance with the law. The remaining 72, who held valid passports, have been handed over to the Tay Ninh Provincial Police’s Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation into potential criminal activity.
Authorities in Tay Ninh Province received 45 citizens who were deported from Cambodia for illegal residence. Source: Tay Ninh Online Newspaper
Earlier, on July 16, authorities in Tay Ninh Province received 45 citizens who had been deported from Cambodia for illegal residence. Many of them were also victims of labor scam networks that lured workers with false promises of "easy jobs, high salary". The recent handover followed a statement from the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs during a press briefing on July 17, which confirmed that over 140 Vietnamese citizens had been temporarily detained by Cambodian authorities in the Phsar Depo 1 area (Toul Kork District, Phnom Penh) on July 14 over suspicions of involvement in cybercrime. As previously reported by TAPNews, this was part of a large-scale crackdown launched by the Cambodian government starting June 27, following the first meeting of the Cambodia Counter Fraud Committee (CCFC). As of July 18, Cambodian authorities had raided 45 locations and arrested more than 2,270 suspects linked to scam networks across the country.
One of the images showing suspects being arrested during the Cambodian authorities' crackdown on online scam operations. Source: Cambodian Ministry of Information
The series of recent incidents highlights a concerning rise in transnational high-tech crime. Many Vietnamese workers have been lured to Cambodia with promises of easy jobs and attractive income, but in reality they are forced to work, exploited, and even forced to participate in illegal activities. Vietnamese authorities have repeatedly warned citizens to be cautious when receiving job offers abroad, especially when the contract and the recruiting company are unclear. In this context, strengthening international coordination to combat transnational crime is extremely urgent.
In case citizens need assistance in Cambodia, please provide information to:
Citizen Protection Hotline (phone number: +84 981 848484)
Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (email: [email protected])
Embassy of Vietnam in Cambodia (email: [email protected] or [email protected]; phone numbers: +855 977 492 430, +855 316 199 999, or +855 975 717 888).
Hoang Nam