Source: People's Evening News
Comprehensive Xinhua Agency and CCTV news reports, South Korean police reported on the 20th that they had applied for arrest warrants for 59 suspects suspected of participating in online fraud who were recently repatriated from Cambodia. Previously, a South Korean college student was detained, tortured and killed after being lured to work in Cambodia, arousing anger among the South Korean people. Government data shows that the number of South Koreans suspected of participating in telecommunications network fraud in Cambodia may far exceed previous estimates of more than 1000. In view of the surge in related cases, the South Korean government has implemented the highest level 4 travel alert for some areas of Cambodia since the 16th of this month.
Korean suspects suspected of participating in online fraud in Cambodia were recently repatriated to China. Figure GJ
“Korean Specialist”
In August this year, the body of South Korean Park Min-ho was found in a pickup truck in Kampot province in southern Cambodia. The 22-year-old student died of cardiac arrest after being tortured and beaten, authorities said. It is reported that Park was lured to Cambodia by one of his friends, who was later arrested in South Korea.
Park Chan-dae, a member of the ruling Common Democratic Party of South Korea, helped rescue 16 Koreans in Cambodia in August and September this year. He said criminal organizations are exploiting vulnerable people who are in desperate need of work.
It is that the victims were mostly aged 20 to 30 years old and attracted by local high-pay promises.After arriving in the park, they were confiscated their passports, subjected to detention, blackmail, and forced to participate in crimes such as electronic fraud, gambling.
Park said the family of three of the 16 rescued people contacted his office for help and said the victim secretly shared information with him about their location.
There are reports that the Cambodian scam park has also opened a "Korean specialty" for Koreans, with Korean "old employees" using their native language to lure more compatriots to work.
They disappeared
South Korean police received a report from the Cambodia government from July to September this year, saying that it had investigated and dealt with the local online fraud call center and provided a list of South Korean suspects. On October 18, 64 South Korean suspects detained in Cambodia on suspicion of participating in online fraud were repatriated.
Park Zhengpil, head of the State Investigation Headquarters of the South Korean Police Department, said that the police are checking the victim situation and other new criminal clues, and will investigate whether the suspect is a "knowing the law offender" or a forced crime after being abducted.
According to the statistics of the Korean Embassy in Cambodia, in the first eight months of this year, there have been more than 330 Koreans involved in fraud cases, of which 52 cases are pending and another 80 people are "missing".
According to the latest government data, the number of Koreans suspected of participating in telecommunication network fraud in Cambodia may far exceed the government's previous estimate of more than 1,000.
According to a piece of information obtained by Park Tsun Tae's office from the Ministry of Justice on the 20th, since 2021, the gap between the number of people leaving South Korea to Cambodia and the number of people returning from Cambodia has widened significantly. In 2021, 113 more people will go to Cambodia than those returning to South Korea. This difference will surge to 3209 in 2022, 2662 in 2023, and 3248 in 2024. This may mean that two to three thousand South Koreans have gone to Cambodia every year for three consecutive years and stayed there. As of August this year, nearly 900 people who went to Cambodia have not returned home.
Action has been carried out
Starting from the 16th of this month, the South Korean government has listed the Mount Boko area of Kampot Province, Cambodia, as well as the cities of Bawe and Poipet as travel prohibited areas. The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that if South Korean citizens visit or stay in these areas, they will be punished for violating the Passport Law, etc., and called on South Korean citizens planning to travel to the above-mentioned areas to cancel relevant trips.
Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Manet held a meeting with South Korean Second Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Jin-o in Phnom Penh on the 16th to discuss joint efforts to combat cybercrime.
Mr. Kim said Mr. Hong-Manne asked South Korea to ease travel restrictions because of concerns that this could have a negative impact on Cambodia's investment and tourism industry. Mr. Kim responded that these restrictions were "inevitable", but South Korea would ease the restrictions if the situation improved.
Jeremy Douglas, Director of the Office on Drugs and Crime at the United Nations, said that Southeast Asia, the border area between Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, “can be said to be the world’s largest centre of fraud and illegal online gambling.”
Source: Xinmin Evening News Author: Wang Jiaye