Cambodia is screening all foreigners living in the country except embassy staff, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Kheng said on 19 August, part of a campaign against human trafficking that officials have linked to casinos and scam operations1.
Sar Kheng said the review would focus on finding foreigners who are victims of traffickers. He did not give the number or nationalities of people involved, but confirmed that some foreigners told police they had been drawn to Cambodia by jobs described as legal with attractive pay, then forced into work that was "not what they agreed to"1. Police in Kandal and Sihanoukville provinces have begun checking the status of foreigners living or working in hotels, rental properties and casinos, and authorities have set up hotlines in Khmer, Chinese and English for victims to report1.
The announcement followed an escape on 18 August, when 40 people, 35 men and 5 women, swam across the Binh Di river from Casino Rich World in Chrey Thum village, Sampeou Poun commune, Kaoh Thom district, Kandal province, and entered Vietnam illegally1.
They said they were given no rest and no pay, which is why they agreed to try to cross back1.
Vietnam's An Giang provincial police said the case showed signs of human trafficking and organizing illegal exit, and on the afternoon of 20 August placed two suspects in criminal custody: Nguyen Thi Le, born 1980, and Le Van Danh, born 1988, both from Long Binh town in An Phu district, on charges of organizing illegal exit for others1.
"nước này đang rà soát trên quy mô toàn quốc đối với tất cả người nước ngoài đang sinh sống tại Campuchia, ngoại trừ các nhân viên đại sứ quán"
What it means for players
The screening covers foreigners living in Cambodia, not only casino workers, so expats and visitors with residency or long stays may be asked to show their status during checks at hotels, rental properties and casinos1. The reported cases center on people recruited for online work, not on ordinary casino customers, and no source says the review targets gamblers. Anyone caught in a trafficking or forced work situation can use the hotlines in Khmer, Chinese and English that authorities have set up for victims1. Cambodia's rules on who may gamble and where are covered in our Cambodia guide and our page on foreigners gambling in Cambodia. The recruitment pattern described here, fake job offers tied to casinos and scam operations, is set out in our guide to gambling scams and safety in Asia.
What happens next
An Giang police said they are continuing to widen the investigation and will handle those involved under the law1. Sihanoukville provincial spokesman Kheang Phearum said authorities would do everything possible to investigate, find the perpetrators and punish them under the rules, and would help and rescue victims regardless of nationality1. No date has been given for the end of the nationwide review, and the number of foreigners checked has not been reported1.
Sources1 sources
- Vụ 40 người tháo chạy khỏi Casino: Có dấu hiệu buôn người, baochinhphu.vn
