Background
On 19 June 2026, units from the National Police and the provincial unified command conducted coordinated inspections of four residential locations in Paoy Paet city, Banteay Meanchey province and identified 117 foreign residents present at those sites. One site was temporarily sealed after authorities determined occupants at that location were engaged in online scam operations involving both foreign and Cambodian residents.
The operation combined police investigative teams, the provincial unified command, the gendarmerie and municipal administration to apply immigration-management and criminal-investigation procedures on site. Immigration specialists assumed management responsibility for locations where no evidence of online scam activity was found, while Paoy Paet city police escorted individuals for questioning and further legal investigation.
Key Developments
Authorities inspected four separate buildings in Paoy Paet and found a consolidated group of foreign residents; officials reported that 20 of the foreign residents were female. At the second site, police reported 27 occupants including 18 Cambodian women whom they identified as involved in online scam activities; that location was closed under a temporary seal-off measure.
Institutional Role
The National Police led operational coordination, supported by the provincial unified command and local administration, reflecting a cross-agency approach to cases that intersect immigration control and cybercrime enforcement. Local Paoy Paet city police are responsible for initial questioning and the procedural follow-up required under criminal and immigration law.
Operational Implications
Temporary seal-off of premises is used to secure sites for evidence collection and to prevent ongoing criminal activity while investigators conduct interviews and technical examinations. Occupants from the sealed location were taken to Paoy Paet city police to be questioned and to undergo continuation of investigative procedures.
