South Korea arrests 64 nationals repatriated from Cambodia over online fraud operations

South Korean authorities arrested 64 nationals upon their return from Cambodia on Saturday, following suspicions of involvement in cyber scam operations, human trafficking, and other criminal activities.

The individuals had been detained in Cambodia amid an ongoing investigation into fake jobs, kidnapping cases, and online fraud centres targeting South Koreans. The repatriation came after a South Korean team travelled to Cambodia on Wednesday to discuss the cases, coordinate the safe return of nationals, and ensure law enforcement action.

According to officials, the group arrived at Incheon International Airport on a chartered flight and were immediately placed under arrest. Each suspect was transferred to the relevant police station overseeing their case. Television footage showed most of the suspects wearing masks and caps, handcuffed, with cloth covering their restraints, escorted through the airport arrival hall by two police officers each.

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Allegations and investigations into scam operations

Park Sung-joo, head of the National Office of Investigation, said the individuals were implicated in various crimes, including voice phishing, romance scams, and so-called “no-show” fraud schemes. He added that, due to suspicions of drug use in Cambodia, all returnees would undergo drug testing as part of standard procedures.

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac clarified that the group included both “voluntary and involuntary participants” in these criminal networks. Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina thanked Cambodian authorities, noting their ongoing efforts to crack down on illegal operations and cooperate closely with Seoul.

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South Korean authorities estimate that about 1,000 of their nationals are among roughly 200,000 people working in scam operations in Cambodia. Many are reportedly forced to execute “pig butchering” scams, which involve cultivating victims’ trust over time before stealing their cryptocurrency funds. Experts note that Cambodia’s illicit online fraud industry has grown rapidly, involving thousands of perpetrators, some coerced and others willingly participating.

Human rights concerns and public outcry

Amnesty International has raised concerns over widespread abuses in Cambodia’s scam centres, reporting forced labour, torture, human trafficking, and deprivation of liberty at over 50 compounds. Cambodia’s anti-cybercrime commission stated that, since late June, authorities arrested 3,455 suspects from 20 Asian and African countries, sent dozens of alleged ringleaders and accomplices to court in cases involving online fraud, murder, and trafficking, and deported more than 2,800 foreign nationals while rescuing some victims.

The repatriation follows public outrage in South Korea after a college student was kidnapped, tortured, and killed in Cambodia in August. Cambodian authorities confirmed that the student died from severe torture, with multiple bruises and injuries across the body. South Korean police are conducting a joint investigation with Cambodian authorities into this case.

(With agency inputs)