Cambodian National Police detained 587 suspects in a raid on a 30-story building in Poipet town, Banteay Meanchey province, on October 4, according to the National Police1. The operation targeted an illegal online gambling operation in Samaki Meanchey village, O'Chrov commune1.
A senior police official said 518 of the detainees were Indonesian nationals, including 76 women; 18 were Thai, including six women; and 51 were Cambodian, including 21 women1. A Thai national is believed to be the mastermind behind the operation1. Authorities confiscated large quantities of equipment, and interrogation of the suspects is ongoing1.
The Khmer Times reported a slightly different total, saying 591 suspects were arrested, comprising 518 Indonesians, 22 Thais and 51 Cambodians, including the mastermind, a Thai national2. The two accounts agree on the Indonesian and Cambodian figures but differ on the number of Thai detainees and the overall total.
General Sar Thet, Commissioner-General of the National Police, ordered the raid, which Lieutenant General E Sokhy, Deputy Commissioner-General of the National Police, supervised in cooperation with the Banteay Meanchey Unified Command and the provincial court2. Police have detained the suspects pending legal proceedings2.
Ministry of Interior spokesperson Touch Sokhak said the case was not linked to online scam activities and should not be viewed as an indicator that large-scale scam centers are still present in the Kingdom1. He said the government is taking steps to eradicate all online betting1.
"The facility has been sealed, pending legal action."
In a separate case, an October 3 raid in Preah Sihanouk province saw 44 Chinese, Taiwanese and Cambodian people, including six women, detained over an online scam operation1. The raid took place at the 16-story structure known as the "Boat Building" in Village 4, Commune 4, Sihanoukville1. Police found 40 desktop computers, 10 laptops and 26 mobile phones inside the building, which contained 320 rooms1.
| Nationality | Detainees (Phnom Penh Post) | Detainees (Khmer Times) |
|---|---|---|
| Indonesian | 518 (76 women) | 518 |
| Thai | 18 (6 women) | 22 |
| Cambodian | 51 (21 women) | 51 |
| Total | 587 | 591 |
What it means for players
The raid concerns an unlicensed operation running online betting from a single building, not licensed casino floors. Cambodia's gambling laws distinguish between regulated casino gambling and illegal online betting, and the government has said it is working to eradicate online betting1. The Poipet case shows that premises hosting online gambling can be sealed and staff detained, with foreign nationals making up the large majority of those held1.
For players, the practical effect is on the supply side. Operations of this kind are among the offshore online gambling hubs that serve customers across the region, and a shutdown can interrupt deposits, withdrawals and account access. Players using sites with no license and no verifiable operator have no clear route to recover funds if a platform goes dark, a risk covered in when an online gambling site won't pay out. The wider legal position for players in the region is set out in Online Gambling in Asia.
What happens next
The Poipet building has been sealed pending legal action, and the suspects remain in custody pending legal proceedings1. Police said interrogation of the suspects is ongoing1. No court dates, charges or deportation arrangements for the foreign detainees have been reported.
Sources2 sources
- All bets are off: Poipet gambling raid nets 500+ suspects - Phnom Penh Post, phnompenhpost.com
- IN PICTURES: Almost 600 arrested in major online gambling raid, khmertimeskh.com
