23-2-2025 (PHNOM PENH) Cambodian authorities have orchestrated the largest-ever rescue operation targeting human trafficking networks, liberating 215 foreign nationals from an alleged scam compound in Poipet.
The three-storey facility, reportedly owned by a senior provincial official in Banteay Meanchey, housed a sophisticated operation where individuals from various Asian nations were allegedly coerced into perpetrating online fraud schemes.
Among those freed were 109 Thai nationals, including 54 women, alongside 50 Pakistani, 48 Indian, five Taiwanese, and three Indonesian citizens. The operation marks an unprecedented success in the ongoing battle against transnational crime syndicates in Southeast Asia.
The breakthrough comes on the heels of high-level discussions between Thai Police Inspector-General Pol Gen Thatchai Pitaneelaboot and his Cambodian counterparts, highlighting the strengthening regional cooperation in combating organised crime.
Government spokesman Jirayu Huangsub revealed that Thai intelligence services played a crucial role in identifying their citizens among the compound’s occupants. The Thai nationals are currently undergoing thorough screening to establish their status as either victims or potential accomplices.
In a related development illustrating the scale of regional trafficking operations, Chinese authorities successfully repatriated 621 of their nationals from Myanmar via Thailand’s Mae Sot airport. These individuals had been trafficked to Myanmar for similar fraudulent operations between 20th and 22nd February.
The compound, situated opposite Thailand’s Aranyaprathet district, was allegedly rented by Chinese criminal elements for conducting online scams and illegal gambling operations. Cambodian authorities are presently processing the survivors’ statements and personal information as part of their ongoing investigation.
Security experts note that this operation represents the most significant rescue mission to date in both Thai and Cambodian anti-trafficking efforts, with authorities pledging to maintain pressure on criminal networks operating in the region.
