PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia’s parliament unanimously passed sweeping legislation Monday designed to combat online fraud operations, with maximum sentences reaching life imprisonment. The government has committed to eliminating these criminal enterprises by April’s end.
Every one of the 112 lawmakers present supported the measure, establishing Cambodia’s inaugural legal structure to address the profitable criminal industry that has made the nation a worldwide center for internet-based crimes.
These fraudulent operations commonly feature fake investment opportunities and romance deceptions that steal tens of billions of dollars annually from people across the globe.
Justice Minister Keut Rith observed that thousands of individuals, particularly from neighboring Asian countries, fall victim to deceptive employment promises and become trapped in fraud facilities under slave-like conditions.
Keut Rith informed parliament members that such criminal activities endanger public safety and severely harm Cambodia’s international standing.
The bill now moves to Senate consideration and requires King Norodom Sihamoni’s final signature.
Operating what authorities classify as a technology fraud facility would result in five to ten years behind bars plus fines up to $250,000. When human trafficking, unlawful detention, or physical harm occurs, sentences increase to 10 to 20 years.
Should a worker perish, which frequently happens during escape attempts, perpetrators could receive 15 to 30 years or life sentences.
Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith, who heads the Commission for Combating Online Scams, recently revealed that officials have investigated 250 suspicious sites since July, closing down 200 of them.
He reported the crackdown generated 79 criminal cases involving nearly 700 leaders and accomplices. During this timeframe, officials have sent home almost 10,000 fraud center employees from 23 nations.
Some experts remain doubtful. Jacob Sims, a visiting fellow at Harvard University’s Asia Center, responded to Chhay Sinarith’s statements by noting that previous enforcement actions frequently fell short because they preserved financial and protective networks, enabling criminal groups to resume operations rapidly.
