Banteay Meanchey provincial governor Oum Reatrey chaired a July 7 meeting with senior officials and ordered authorities at every level of the province to step up enforcement against online scam operations, according to a report published by the Phnom Penh Post on July 81.
Authorities in Poipet reported that scam syndicates pushed out by recent enforcement operations have broken into smaller groups and relocated to the provincial capital, Serei Saophoan1. Reatrey said the groups are hiding in guesthouses, rented accommodation and even vehicles while continuing to run online scams, and he linked the shift to the recent discovery of an alleged scam operation in Serei Saophoan1.
"The criminal groups have moved from Poipet to hide in Serei Saophoan and continue carrying out online scams"
The governor directed local authorities down to village and commune level to compile updated data on foreign nationals in their communities and to report any suspected scam compounds or suspicious activity involving foreigners immediately1. He also warned that property owners who knowingly provide accommodation for foreigners engaged in online scam operations would face legal action1.
Poipet has become one of Cambodia's main targets in the nationwide campaign against online scam compounds and related organized crime1. Joint law enforcement teams have carried out repeated raids in recent months, arresting thousands of suspects, and many foreign nationals have since been deported to their home countries1. Several casinos in Poipet have also had their operating licenses revoked after authorities found they were linked to online scam activities1. Banteay Meanchey authorities said they would eradicate the remaining networks from the border province1.
The report did not give figures for the number of people arrested, deported or charged in Banteay Meanchey specifically, nor did it name any casino, guesthouse or property owner1. It also did not state how many syndicates are believed to have moved to Serei Saophoan1.
What it means for players
The enforcement activity described is aimed at online scam operations, not at licensed gambling, but the two overlap in Poipet, where the report says several casinos lost their operating licenses over links to online scam activity1. For anyone in Banteay Meanchey, that means the venue landscape can change without notice, and a casino that was operating previously may no longer hold a license.
The instruction to collect data on foreign nationals at village and commune level, and the warning to property owners who house foreigners working in online scams, means foreigners in the province can expect more local scrutiny of where they live and what they do there1. The report does not describe any new requirements for ordinary visitors or residents, and it does not say whether any checks apply to people unconnected to scam operations.
Scam operations of the kind described are distinct from regulated casinos and betting, but they are part of the wider picture of gambling scams and safety in Asia, including the border towns and zones where scam compounds operate. For background on what is and is not licensed in the country, see Can I gamble in Cambodia?.
What happens next
The report gives no timeline for the intensified campaign and no date for further raids or arrests1. It says only that authorities at all levels were instructed to redouble their efforts and that the province vowed to eradicate the remaining networks1.
