Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet announced at the opening ceremony of the Cambodia-ASEAN Business Summit in Phnom Penh on 4/3 that eliminating online scams is a primary focus for his government.
"The Cambodian government has decided to comprehensively reform its national policy on crime prevention, shifting its focus to completely eliminating online scam centers in April," Mr. Hun Manet stated.
In February, Cambodia launched Operation XXL, an "unprecedented" nationwide crackdown on scam crime, with the goal of dismantling all online scam complexes before the Khmer New Year in April.
Prime Minister Hun Manet noted that this initiative aims to strengthen legal and institutional compliance, protect integrity, and enhance the investment environment. However, he did not provide details on the next phase of Operation XXL.
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Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Kuala Lumpur, 10/2025. Photo: AFP
Chou Bun Eng, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Interior and Vice Chair of Cambodia's National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking, told reporters that anti-online scam efforts would persist beyond the Khmer New Year, which marks the conclusion of Operation XXL.
According to Eng, this ensures "no small ember is left behind." She noted, "Tens of thousands of foreigners involved in online scams have either voluntarily departed or been deported, yet many continue to roam the country. They move everywhere, hiding, awaiting opportunities to re-establish new strongholds after raids."
She stated that the next phase of the operation will focus on locating suspects who evaded earlier crackdowns. Authorities also plan to tighten management and enhance tracing and on-site surveillance in suspicious areas, including residential zones.
"The key objective is to detect the smallest signs of scam activity," Eng affirmed. "They can no longer hide from us."
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Outside the Won-gu complex in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 10/2025. Photo: Chosun
Under a decree issued by the Cambodian government earlier this year, property owners who rent or provide locations for scam activities face fines of up to 1,000 USD for each scammer they assist. Additionally, such establishments will be shut down indefinitely.
Since intensifying crackdowns on online scam centers began in 6/2025, Cambodia has deported over 30,000 foreigners suspected of scam involvement, while more than 210,000 individuals have voluntarily left the country.
Over the past two weeks, crackdowns under Operation XXL have uncovered 21 scam cases, leading to 416 arrests, predominantly Chinese citizens.
Cambodia was once considered a hotspot for online scam activities in Southeast Asia. Initially, these scam groups primarily targeted Chinese speakers before expanding their operations to multiple other languages.
The U.S. Institute of Peace estimated in 2024 that profits from online scam operations in Cambodia exceeded 12,5 billion USD annually, accounting for 50% of the country's GDP.
On 25/2, Prime Minister Hun Manet asserted that scam networks "are destroying our legitimate economy" and tarnishing Cambodia's reputation. He added that these scam centers are also harming the nation's tourism and investment sectors. "Therefore, we must thoroughly address this issue," he stated.
By Duc Trung (Based on reports from Khmer Times, Xinhua, AFP)
