Background
The National Police of Cambodia has implemented bilateral law‑enforcement coordination mechanisms with China that operate through formal memoranda and dedicated coordination offices. Cambodia and China coordinate criminal investigations and deportations through the Law Enforcement Cooperation Coordination Office under memoranda of understanding signed in 2019 and 2024. The Lancang‑Mekong Integrated Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation Center supports regional case coordination under a 2017 MoU, and Cambodia updated its working‑group composition for that mechanism in 2018, 2019 and July 2026.
Operational cooperation reported by the Ministry of Interior includes processing diplomatic notes, joint investigations, rescues of suspected victims, transfers to immigration authorities, and the use of chartered flights coordinated by the Chinese side. Investigative requests from the Chinese Embassy were handled by Cambodian investigators and, where relevant, transferred to the General Department of Immigration for deportation or further administrative processing.
Key Developments
Responding to a Chinese request about 16 Chinese nationals suspected of online scams, extortion and related crimes, Cambodian authorities located 14 individuals: four had already left Cambodia, ten remained in the country, and two had no recorded entry into Cambodia.
For a separate request on 52 Chinese nationals (including four women) tied to online fraud, violations of personal information and illegal border crossings, authorities located 39 people. Of these, nine had departed Cambodia, 13 had no entry records, and one was found to hold Cambodian citizenship. Authorities additionally reported rescuing three Chinese nationals who had been coerced into online fraud and transferring them to the General Department of Immigration.
In investigations covering 45 Chinese nationals (including six women) linked to disputes, online scams, illegal gambling and other offences, 36 individuals were located: 16 had left Cambodia, 20 remained in country and nine had no entry records. Among the 20 remaining in Cambodia, one person was arrested and referred to the General Department of Immigration in 2025 to undergo deportation procedures.
The Ministry reported handling requests on multiple other case clusters: five suspects in illegal deposit‑taking and pornography were found to still be in Cambodia and are subject to ongoing legal procedures; another five suspects related to sexual assault and disturbance cases had entered Cambodia (two later left), and none of those five appeared in the General Department of Identification’s management system.
Within the Lancang‑Mekong framework, Cambodia received 100 diplomatic notes concerning 214 suspects (10 women). Outcomes reported include two cases closed by arrest and deportation (two individuals), 30 diplomatic notes responded to in phase‑one reports (covering 31 individuals), and 68 diplomatic notes still under processing (covering 183 individuals, including seven women).
Institutional Role
The National Police conducts on‑the‑ground investigations after receiving requests or diplomatic notes, and the General Department of Immigration executes administrative measures including detention and deportation where applicable. The Law Enforcement Cooperation Coordination Office serves as the bilateral channel to implement the 2019 and 2024 MoUs, while the Lancang‑Mekong Integrated Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation Center provides a regional coordination platform under its 2017 MoU.
Deputy Interior spokesperson Touch Sokhak reported that the Chinese side coordinated hundreds of special chartered flights to return tens of thousands of Chinese nationals implicated in online scams to China for prosecution, and credited close bilateral and regional coordination for operational outcomes.
Operational Implications
Case processing has exposed gaps in identity records: multiple suspects were reported as having no entry data in the national identification or immigration management systems. Cambodian authorities have used rescue operations and transfers to immigration authorities for victims coerced into cybercrime, while other cases proceed through standard investigative and deportation procedures.
Reported timelines include an arrest transferred to immigration for deportation procedures in 2025 and repeated updates to Cambodia’s participation in the Lancang‑Mekong working groups through July 2026, indicating ongoing operational adjustments to cross‑border law enforcement cooperation.
