Among those arrested are 30 Nepali citizens.
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Cambodian national police have arrested more than 2,000 foreigners from a casino complex in the city of Bavet in a raid against online fraud.
On Wednesday morning, the Cambodian National Police, in coordination with the Public Prosecutor of the First Court of Svay Rieng Province, raided the Van Cheng Casino complex in Ta Beb village, Bavet city. The police said that the operation was carried out on suspicion that online fraud activities were being conducted in 22 buildings within the casino complex.
According to National Police Chief General Sar Thet, the operation was carried out by mobilizing about 700 security personnel under the leadership of General Chiv Phali and General Muang Sotha (deputy police chiefs). A total of 2,044 foreign nationals were arrested during the operation.
Of those arrested, 1,792 were Chinese, 177 Vietnamese, 179 Myanmarese, 30 Nepalese, 5 Taiwanese, 1 Malaysian, 2 Laotians, 36 Indians and 1 Mexican.
Home Ministry Deputy Spokesperson Touch Sokhakh said the operation sent a clear message to the national and international community. According to him, the Cambodian government led by Prime Minister Hun Sen has adopted a policy of zero tolerance against international crimes such as online fraud.
He quoted former Prime Minister and current Senate President Hun Sen as saying, "Cambodia is not a safe haven for criminals, it is a hell for criminals."
According to government information, on February 20, 2025, the Cambodian government established a national committee to combat online fraud, which is chaired by Prime Minister Hun Sen. Home Minister Sar Sokha serves as the vice-chairman, while Police Chief Sar Thet is also a member of the committee.
According to the Home Ministry, 48 operations were conducted against online fraud in the first nine months of 2025 alone. Of the three, 168 people were brought to court and 2,722 were deported to their countries. In January 2026, the main leader of the fraud gang, Chen Zhi, was also arrested and extradited to China.
The Cambodian government has stated that it places a high priority on the prevention, control and suppression of online fraud through legal cooperation with various countries at the regional and international levels. It has also warned that government officials who engage in or are negligent in such crimes will be severely punished according to the law.
