Cambodia Requests Interpol Red Notices as Online Scam Cases Reach the Courts

Cambodian authorities have called for Interpol Red Notices to be issued against two men accused of organising online scam operations, as prosecutions stemming from raids on several major compounds advance through the legal system and the government deepens its ties with international law enforcement.

The status of these cases was outlined during a two-day press tour that wrapped up on 22 September at the Phnom Penh Municipal Police headquarters. The tour had earlier taken journalists to dismantled scam compounds in the provinces of Prey Veng, Svay Rieng and Kandal.

According to Ministry of Information spokesperson Tep Asnarith, who headed the delegation, the tour brought together 75 reporters representing 42 domestic and foreign media outlets, among them 23 international organisations. He said the journalists were given firsthand access to the sites and to officials involved in the country's fight against technology-driven fraud.

"The journalists gathered information and captured footage of the Cambodian government's work against tech-based scams, especially the tangible results we have achieved," he said.

Arrest warrants and Red Notice requests

A fact sheet handed out during the tour revealed that a court has issued arrest warrants for Qiu Ren Wu and John Riskin, both said to be linked to the Jin Zi Hui Property Management compound in Kandal province. Qiu Ren Wu is listed as the compound's registered owner, while John Riskin is named as his representative. Cambodian authorities have asked Interpol to publish Red Notices for the pair.

According to the document, the compound's owner and staff had abandoned the premises before officials arrived to inspect it. The site, situated in Prek Sueng village in Sampov Poun town, has since been sealed off.

The property included 55 buildings, 113 villas and 4,707 rooms. Investigators recovered 3,779 computers, 11,585 mobile phones, 56 computer processing units, 35 servers, passports and other items, along with eight foreign police uniforms. Reporters were also shown AI-generated scam scripts and handwritten notes left behind by the fleeing operators.

Impersonation cases and international cooperation

In a separate briefing, Phnom Penh police told journalists about cases in which suspects allegedly posed as police officers, customs agents and other government officials. Asnarith said foreign reporters were especially keen to learn about cases involving Japanese, European and American nationals, as well as the tactics scammers used to impersonate authorities.

"The Phnom Penh police gave clear explanations, detailed information and concrete examples of the measures used to crack down on these crimes and bring the cases to court," he said, adding that each case now before the courts is being processed under strict legal procedure.

Officials also described how Cambodian investigators are working with international partners, including the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Interpol, China and agencies from other nations. Such collaboration is seen as essential for sharing intelligence, identifying suspects and tracing transnational criminal networks whose members, infrastructure and victims are often scattered across multiple countries.

Cases at other compounds

Legal proceedings have also been launched against suspects tied to two further compounds featured on the tour.

At the Golden Galaxy Casino in Bavet city, Svay Rieng province, authorities arrested the registered owner and two alleged scam organisers during an operation on 7 April. They were named as owner Hong Seung GI and tenants Le Van Nguyen and Nguyen Van Vinh, the latter two described in the fact sheet as senior figures in the scam operation. All three were placed in pretrial detention at Svay Rieng Provincial Prison.

The document stated that 244 people were detained at the site, including 182 Vietnamese, 49 Chinese, nine South Koreans and four Cambodians, of whom 63 were women. Those facing immigration procedures were handed over to the General Department of Immigration, and the compound was sealed. Investigators seized 151 computers, 505 mobile phones, and additional passports, SIM cards and documents.

In Prey Veng province, authorities shut down the Legend Innovation compound in February, a site also known as 8 Park or Meun Chey Commercial City. The government fact sheet identified the property as a subsidiary of Prince Group, naming Brandon Luo and Lin He Jiang as registered owners and Eang Sok Lim as their representative. Eang Sok Lim, 39, was described as an alleged ringleader and is being held in pretrial detention at Phnom Penh's PJ Prison.

Computers, servers, mobile phones, SIM cards, passports, work permits and other documents were confiscated from the site. The provincial unified command began the operation in early February and had dismantled the alleged scam network by mid-month. An investigating judge carried out a search on 3 April, after which the premises were fully sealed.

A message ahead of a global conference

Asnarith said the media tour was designed to showcase what the government presents as its political resolve, enforcement systems and practical steps to combat online fraud. He said it also aimed to signal to both domestic and international audiences Cambodia's determination to rid the country of scam operations and support the worldwide effort against the crime.

The tour came just before the International Conference on Combating Online Scams, held in Phnom Penh on 23 and 24 September under the theme "Acting Together towards Breaking the Chain and Eradication of Online Scams." Prime Minister Hun Manet was set to give the keynote address at the opening ceremony.

According to the conference programme released on 21 September, participants were to include representatives from several ASEAN countries, the ASEAN Secretariat, Interpol, the FBI, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and other international bodies. The two-day meeting was to address online scams as a global emergency, regional and international responses, technology-based prevention and cyber resilience, and the progress and obstacles facing individual countries. It was scheduled to close on 24 September with the adoption of an outcome document.