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Dozens of South Koreans detained successful Cambodia for alleged engagement successful online scam compounds volition beryllium sent location this week to look investigations, officials said connected Thursday (January 22, 2026), successful what would beryllium the largest radical reparation of Korean transgression suspects from abroad.
The 73 South Korean suspects allegedly scammed chap Koreans retired of 48.6 cardinal won ($33 million), according to the statement.
The suspects, 65 men and 8 women, were among astir 260 South Koreans detained successful a crackdown successful Cambodia successful caller months. Public outrage implicit scam centers successful Southeast Asia flared successful South Korea erstwhile a Korean pupil was recovered dormant past summertime aft reportedly being forced to enactment astatine a scam compound successful Cambodia.
Authorities said astatine the clip helium died aft being tortured and beaten, and South Korea sent a authorities delegation to Cambodia successful October for talks connected a associated response.
South Korea volition nonstop a chartered level to Cambodia, which is expected to instrumentality connected Friday (January 23, 2026) with the suspects, who volition beryllium instantly handed implicit to investigative authorities upon arrival, according to a South Korean authorities statement.
Cybercrime has flourished successful Southeast Asia, peculiarly successful Cambodia and Myanmar, arsenic trafficked overseas nationals were employed to tally romance and cryptocurrency scams, often recruited with mendacious occupation offers and past forced to enactment successful conditions of near-slavery. According to estimates from the U.N. Office connected Drugs and Crime, scam victims worldwide mislaid betwixt $18 cardinal and $37 cardinal successful 2023.
In January, Cambodia said it had arrested and extradited to China a tycoon accused of moving a immense online scam operation.
Since October, astir 130 Korean scam suspects from Cambodia person been sent backmost location and little past 30 specified Korean suspects from Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines altogether. After Friday's repatriation, astir 60 South Koreans volition stay detained successful Cambodia awaiting repatriation, according to police.
South Korean officials said successful October that astir 1,000 South Koreans were estimated beryllium successful scam centers successful Cambodia. Some are believed to beryllium forced laborers.
South Korea said it volition proceed its efforts to ace down connected scam crimes targeting South Korean nationals.
