PHNOM PENH: A total of 4,834 Cambodian and foreign nationals, including 737 women, are currently being held in connection with technology-facilitated scam cases, according to the Ministry of Interior. It added that 77 national police officers have been subjected to disciplinary action for offences linked to scam offences, with several stood down from their positions and expelled from the police force.
The figures cover cases from the start of the current large-scale crackdown through September 18, explained ministry spokesman Touch Sokhak, who provided further details on Friday.
Of the nearly 5,000 people detained, 491 are Cambodian nationals, including 193 women, while 4,343 are foreigners from 27 different nations, including 544 women. They are being held at 23 prisons and correctional centres nationwide, Sokhak noted.
He said the detainees fall into four distinct legal categories.
The first comprises 4,168 accused, including 621 women, who have been formally charged by prosecutors at municipal and provincial courts.
The second category consists of 441 defendants, including 73 women, who are currently under pre-trial investigation by judges.
The third category comprises 194 convicted persons, including 33 women, who have been sentenced following hearings but whose judgments have not yet become final because the individuals concerned still have the legal right to appeal.
The fourth category comprises 31 prisoners, including 10 women, whose court judgments have become final and who are serving prison terms or paying fines imposed by the courts.
Sokhak noted that the five facilities with the largest number of scam-connected inmates are Svay Rieng Provincial Prison, followed by Preah Sihanouk Provincial Prison, Banteay Meanchey Provincial Prison, Correctional Centre 1 and Koh Kong Provincial Prison.
He also highlighted the penalties delivered to the 77 officers who were linked to scam crimes.
The measures ranged from first-level warnings, demotions, suspension from duty and temporary salary reductions to removal or termination from their positions and expulsion from the police force.
“We divide police officers involved in technology-facilitated scam offences into two categories,” Sokhak explained.
“If their involvement is minor or relatively light, we apply disciplinary measures in accordance with the 2024 regulations on disciplinary offences by the Cambodian National Police.
“But if their involvement constitutes a criminal offence, a case must be prepared and sent to court… multiple cases have been sent to court,” he added, although he did not provide a breakdown of the 77 named cases. - Phnom Penh Post/ANN
