Cambodia's Invisible Scam Empire: Raids, Resilience, and Relentless Networks

In the glitzy casinos of Bavet and the ghost towers of Sihanoukville, an invisible empire has thrived for years: "scam centers," these clandestine online fraud factories that drain billions of dollars while enslaving thousands of victims.

On January 31 last, a titanic raid at the A7 complex in Svay Rieng led to the arrest of 2,044 foreign suspects, marking an absolute record in the history of these operations.

Yet, despite over 5,000 arrests in 2025 and the closure of 92 sites, these networks rebound with stunning resilience. Suspicions of corruption, sabotaged raids, lightning relocations: this investigation reveals the gears of an asymmetric war where the Cambodian state wages a tough battle against ultra-organized syndicates.

Giant Bavet Raid: A Spectacular Strike

On January 31, 2026, at dawn, about 700 elite national police officers, under the orders of General Sar Thet, Commissioner General, stormed the A7 casino complex—also known as Wan Cheng—a border bastion with Vietnam in Svay Rieng province.

The toll of this operation is impressive: 2,044 foreigners were detained, including 1,792 Chinese, 179 Burmese, 177 Vietnamese, 36 Indians, 30 Nepalis, as well as nationals from Taiwan, Malaysia, Laos, and even Mexico.

Special forces searched 22 buildings, seizing computers, servers, and damning evidence of sophisticated frauds, such as "pig-butchering" scams—those trapped romantic swindles—deepfakes, and sextortion.

This intervention is not an isolated case but part of a series of recurring operations in Bavet.​

In November 2025, a similar raid had already led to the arrest of 658 foreigners in two distinct compounds, revealing vicious techniques like AI-generated fake relationships or fraudulent job offers. An entire casino was then closed, with three presumed masterminds—two Taiwanese and one Malaysian—locked up, while 20 potential victims were freed.​

As early as 2024, 450 arrests had been recorded for illegal gambling masking scam activities.​

Sihanoukville Onslaughts

In Sihanoukville, the historic epicenter of these networks, assaults follow one another: over 1,000 suspects apprehended in July 2025—including 200 Vietnamese—263 at the Galaxy World Casino in October, and 450 as early as March 2024.​​

In total, authorities conducted 48 major raids in the first nine months of 2025, leading to 2,722 expulsions, while the period from June 2025 to January 2026 saw the neutralization of 118 sites and the arrest of 4,983 suspects from 23 different nationalities, of which 4,039 were expelled.

Swift Justice: Mass Deportations and Selective Convictions

What becomes of these thousands of suspects after arrest? Authorities overwhelmingly favor rapid deportation of foreigners, as evidenced by the Bavet case in November 2025: 529 Vietnamese held pending expulsion and 71 transferred to immigration.​

Of the 118 recently treated sites, 35 cases were brought to court, resulting in 168 or 172 targeted convictions against the "big heads"—the presumed leaders—for charges such as money laundering and human trafficking. The most emblematic extradition remains that of Chen Zhi, Prince Group tycoon, to China in January 2026; this businessman, sanctioned by the United States for massive cryptocurrency frauds.

The Anti-Scam Coordination Committee (CCOS), created in February 2025 and chaired by Prime Minister Hun Manet himself, claims to have handled 37 major judicial cases.​

Vice-Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Sokha has elevated this fight to one of his department's six absolute priorities, threatening immediate dismissal and prosecution for any complicit or negligent official.​

Yet, details on individual sentences remain scarce: small players are often "educated" and released, while convictions focus on a handful of leaders. According to the 2025 Global Organized Crime Index (GI-TOC), Cambodia ranks among the 20 countries most affected by organized crime, with a very low resilience score of 3.46 out of 10.​

Real but Limited Impact

On paper, the results are eloquent. Authorities report 5,106 suspects arrested over the last seven months of 2025, of which 4,534 were expelled, and the closure of 93 compounds from late 2024 to October 2025. Raids continue at a frantic pace in 2026, with for example 75 arrests mid-January.

International cooperation progresses: intelligence exchanges with the FBI and Thailand to track financial assets, task forces involving South Korea and Japan. Massive seizures of equipment—phones, computers, servers—have been carried out, and Phnom Penh claims to have restored part of its tarnished international image.​

The reality on the ground is much tougher. Estimates report 350 sites still active, generating between 12 and 19 billion dollars per year. After each raid, operations resume in just a few weeks. Amnesty International, which mapped 53 compounds in June 2025—often installed in casinos or hotels—denounces systematic torture and modern slavery; seven of these sites reportedly remain operational in January 2026.

Resilience Enigma

How do these cybercrime empires rebound so quickly? The first explanation lies in alleged corruption that the government is working to eradicate at all levels.​

These criminals are not mere impulsive delinquents but clever operators recruiting skilled talent via fake IT or customer support job offers, then forcing them to execute scams like "pig butchering" (romantic crypto investment swindles).​

Their ingenuity manifests in the use of generative AI for deepfakes and automated translations, scaling global frauds. They quickly adapt their bases, migrating from casinos to border special economic zones (SEZs) to dodge raids.​

Legitimate Investments via Shells

These syndicates channel their illicit profits into legal conglomerates via shell companies. They infiltrate real estate, banks, and casinos, creating a "reputation laundering" that blurs economic trails. For example, scam funds finance luxury resorts in Palau or ports, while recycling money via cryptos and real estate.​

To legitimize their presence, these networks massively invest in social projects: school construction (Prince Group: 2 million dollars over 7 years), scholarships, and donations to the Cambodian Red Cross (7.2 million dollars from cybercrime-linked donors since 2020). These acts of "weaponized CSR" (militant corporate social responsibility) give them favorable media coverage.​

Legal Structure Complexity

Untangling these networks requires advanced forensic expertise: layers of offshore holdings (100 shell companies for Prince Group). Raids (over 5,000 arrests in 2025) often target executors, leaving the high-level structures intact.

The investigation stumbles on extreme complexity, rapid relocations, and the victim-offender overlap, making cross-border prosecutions arduous.​

Another operational flaw is internal sabotage of raids. Operators receive alerts via Telegram or leaks, allowing emergency evacuations. Interventions focus on small fish—the forced workers, estimated at 100,000 people—who are released or expelled after interrogation, while some leaders vanish or simply do not reside in the Kingdom.​

Compounds are fortified like bunkers: satellite internet connections, autonomous generators, and AI tools to scale frauds at industrial speed.​

Transnational mobility completes the picture. Like narcos, these networks effortlessly relocate to Laos, Myanmar, East Timor, or even Peru, masking operations behind legitimate foreign investments like casinos or SEZs. Colossal profits fund this perpetual adaptation.​

Finally, the economic appeal of the model plays a key role. Many "recruits" arrive as volunteers, lured by promises of fabulous salaries in a context of regional despair.​

Uncertain Prospects: Hell for Criminals...

Prime Minister Hun Manet has made this fight an absolute priority, repeating that "Cambodia is not a haven for criminals, but a hell for them." He threatens mass dismissals and orders continuous raids.​

Partial successes emerge: drop in international complaints, extraditions like Chen Zhi's. Yet, GI-TOC insists on gaps in anti-money laundering efforts. For lasting impact, tracking accomplices, systematically supporting victims, and strengthening ASEAN, US, and EU cooperation are needed. Without this, these invisible empires, AI-boosted and borderless, will continue to haunt the kingdom.

Cambodia stands at a decisive crossroads with this persistent "sin city" stigma.