Background
Cross-border cybercrime enforcement in Cambodia often involves police operations, foreign nationals, and coordination with neighboring authorities. Online scam compounds and related criminal networks have become a regional law enforcement issue in mainland Southeast Asia, requiring operational responses that combine criminal investigation, identification of individuals, and repatriation procedures where foreign citizens are involved.
Poipet, in Banteay Meanchey province, is a Cambodia-Thailand border city where criminal enforcement, migration control, and repatriation issues can require bilateral coordination. Transnational cybercrime enforcement in Cambodia involves police action against illegal operations and communication with foreign authorities when foreign nationals are identified during an operation.
The National Police of Cambodia is the central law enforcement body responsible for public security operations and criminal investigations under Cambodia’s internal security framework. Public clarification by a national police authority can serve an institutional function when enforcement actions are disputed in foreign or domestic media.
Key Developments
On 30 April 2026, the National Police of Cambodia issued a public statement rejecting reports and allegations from media outlets in Thailand concerning an online scam enforcement operation in Poipet, Banteay Meanchey province. The disputed reports alleged that the operation at a 13-storey building in Kbal Spean 2 village, O’Chrov commune, Poipet city, involved the confinement of Thai citizens.
According to the National Police, Cambodian authorities conducted an operation against a transnational criminal network and an online scam location in Poipet. The police statement said authorities found and detained 635 Thai nationals, including 359 women, who were allegedly connected to illegal activities at the site.
Institutional Role
The National Police stated that Cambodian authorities had no intent or action to detain or abuse the Thai nationals outside the law enforcement operation. The statement said Cambodian authorities contacted competent Thai authorities immediately to coordinate the safe and dignified return of the 635 Thai nationals to Thailand.
The National Police also condemned what it described as distorted reporting that could damage the reputation of Cambodian law enforcement and create misunderstanding among the public. The statement linked accurate reporting to the maintenance of bilateral cooperation against transnational crime.
Operational Implications
The statement records Cambodia’s position that the Poipet operation was a cybercrime enforcement action rather than an unlawful confinement of Thai citizens. It also documents the use of Cambodia-Thailand coordination when foreign nationals are encountered during operations against online scam networks.
For long-term governance tracking, the case is relevant to Cambodia’s handling of online scam enforcement, cross-border criminal networks, and official communication during disputes over law enforcement narratives. The National Police reaffirmed Cambodia’s commitment to cooperate with relevant parties to eliminate technology-related crime and protect public interests in the region.
