Mondulkiri’s provincial governor and police and military police chiefs were ousted and replaced as the prime minister’s father decried a murderous scam “mafia” had infiltrated Cambodia.

Police chief Lor Sokha and military police commander Hem Bonarel were removed by prime ministerial decree on May 22. Governor Thong Savon was removed the day after by the prime minister’s father, Hun Sen. Neither announcement explained why the officers were removed from their positions. 

Then on May 24, Hun Sen, who is also president of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, said in a speech that he welcomed the removal of wayward officials, and suggested swift and severe punishment.

“For the people involved in it, they should not only be removed from their positions, they must face charges in court. … Investigate them and when it’s discovered they [profited] from online scams, seize their assets. Because I have received information that in some locations, they transport online scammers into their province and open the way for it.”

“This group will not get away with it because they are the disastrous group and disastrous officers that create disaster for the country.”

Two of the three officials received new positions within a week of their removal from office, according to public announcements. On May 28 former Mondulkiri governor Thong Savun was appointed secretary of state of the Interior Ministry, while former provincial police chief Lor Sokha was made deputy head of the central department of border police.

They were replaced by former Kratie deputy governor Kong Kimny, Phnom Penh police investigations office head Chea Chetra, and former Phnom Penh deputy commander Teav Chandara on May 29.

Cambodia’s scam crackdown, which ramped up in January, has led to the deportations of Chinese businesspeople heading major Cambodian businesses, such as Prince Group and Huione Pay. They were alleged by the U.S. and Chinese governments to be involved in global scam operations that brought hundreds of thousands of foreign workers to Cambodia under deceptive terms to endure forced labor and torture. 

Local tycoons accused of involvement in scam operations — such as U.S.-sanctioned Cambodian senators Ly Yong Phat and Kok An, or the prime minister’s cousin Hun To and the prime minister’s sister-in-law’s brother Yim Leak, who faces court action in Thailand — have largely been spared.

“The crackdown on online scams will happen alongside a crackdown on involved officials, and without removing officials, you will not be successful,” Hun Sen said.

Since the king left for medical treatment in China on April 18, Hun Sen has also been acting head of state due to his role as the Senate president.

“Our country’s image, honor and dignity have been destroyed by the online scam criminal network. Our country has been destroyed by this group. They could become a group that potentially poses a threat to our country in the future,” he said, labeling the group a “mafia” that killed with impunity.

Following Hun Sen’s speech and appointment of new officials, authorities announced several scam raids in Mondulkiri of unclear severity:

• June 2: Police inspected foreigners staying at the Kuch Sar Resort in Ou Reang district’s Dak Dam commune, and examined two laptops, 12 phones and two iPads from 30 Chinese nationals including two women.
• June 3: Police inspected the Rattanak Visal Resort in Sen Monorom city’s Spean Meanchey commune and found 18 Chinese, one Vietnamese and one Philippine nationals “suspected of staying in a group with an unclear occupation.”
• June 7: Sixty-five Chinese nationals, 13 from Myanmar, one Philippine and one Malaysian national were sent to the immigration department over illegal residency and work related to online scams.

Authorities in Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, Tbong Khmum and other areas also made announcements of ongoing raids of scrutinizing foreign nationals:

• June 1: Phnom Penh district administrations inspected 91 locations across 14 districts in one day and found 948 foreign nationals and no scams. Sixty-three were found to be overstaying their visas.
• June 2: Phnom Penh officials inspected 82 locations citywide, and found 478 foreigners — 10 without passports — and no scams.
• June 2: The Sihanoukville administration arrested 26 foreign nationals — three Chinese and 23 Vietnamese — at an alleged scam operation in Bit Traing commune.
• June 4: Svay Rieng police investigated a murder at Bavet city’s BJ Hotel, and arrested 34 foreign nationals suspected of involvement in scams. They also confiscated a gun and arrested three suspected Chinese drug dealers.
• June 4: Phnom Penh’s Chamkarmon district administration inspected The Peak’s two towers and found 489 foreigners of 18 nationalities, 309 of whom were women. Three people did not have passports. Officials claimed some were involved in gambling, and confiscated two laptops.
• June 11: Phnom Penh authorities inspected 89 condominiums, apartments, borey gated housing, guesthouses and hotels and found three alleged online scam operations: two houses in Kambol district’s Borey Piphup Thmey with 14 Bangladeshi nationals, 47 phones and two Chinese passports; and three floors of the De Castle Royal condominium in Boeng Keng Kang 1 commune with 10 Vietnamese nationals and 28 phones.
• June 12: Phnom Penh authorities inspected 92 locations and found one scam location. Across the 92 locations, authorities found 333 foreigners, including 128 women. Eleven of the foreign nationals did not have passports. The scam case, in Pur Senchey district’s Choam Chao 2 commune, involved three Cambodian women who had five computers and 34 work phones.

Authorities also similarly announced raids on warehouses suspected of importing Thai goods despite unresolved tensions.

This article is published as Creative Commons.