Background
The Ministry of Interior acts as the lead national agency coordinating law enforcement responses to transnational online scams and related offenses in Cambodia. Authorities conducted inspections under the framework of Sub-Decree No. 03 and imposed fines on premises owners and managers for failures to report the presence of foreign nationals.
Between January and June 2026, Ministry of Interior authorities reported crackdowns on 488 online scam sites and the detention of 20,926 suspects from 38 nationalities. The Ministry frames these operations within a combined approach of location inspections, site shutdowns, deportations, and money-laundering investigations.
Key Developments
The International Conference on Combating Online Scams is scheduled in Phnom Penh from 23 to 24 September 2026 under the theme “Acting Together towards Breaking the Chain and Eradication of Online Scams.” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Abhisantibindit Sar Sokha is listed to deliver remarks at the high-level forum following a keynote by the Prime Minister, and Secretary of State Keo Vannthan will speak on regional and global responses.
Institutional Role
The conference brings Cambodian law enforcement into direct exchange with international partners, including the Lancang-Mekong Secretariat, the UNODC Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, INTERPOL, the FBI, the Australian Federal Police, the ASEAN Secretariat, and the IMF. Organizers and speakers aim to present operational experience, discuss AI-related challenges, and explore measures to strengthen cross-border cooperation and transparency.
Enforcement Actions
Operational reporting by Ministry authorities for the first half of 2026 indicates widescale activity: inspections at 28,512 targeted locations, more than 100,000 people screened during those operations, and road checkpoints conducted over 21,000 times. From those operations, officials detected undocumented foreigners, identified victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking, sealed and shut down dozens of premises, and opened money-laundering investigations.
Follow-up activity in August 2026 included crackdowns on an additional 85 online scam sites, detention of 1,255 suspects from 13 nationalities, and the deportation of 574 foreign nationals from 11 nationalities; authorities also imposed fines totaling 822,240,000 Riels on owners and managers for violations related to reporting obligations under Sub-Decree No. 03.
