Sixty-four South Koreans detained in Cambodia over alleged online scam operations returned home yesterday, with most expected to face investigation, South Korean authorities said.
Their return followed the alleged murder of a South Korean college student who was tortured in Cambodia in August in a case linked to an employment scam, South Korean news media reported.
The returnees were escorted by police after their arrival at Incheon Airport in Seoul, their hands appearing to be cuffed, but covered with cloth.
Photo: Agence Kampuchea Press via AP
South Korea this week issued a “code black” travel ban for parts of Cambodia, and dispatched a team of high-level officials to help nationals lured into working in scam compounds and secure the release of those held against their will.
South Korean National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said that more than 1,000 South Koreans are believed to be among about 200,000 people of various nationalities involved in the scam compounds in Cambodia.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on Friday ordered an urgent removal of online illegal job advertisements — not only for Cambodia, but also for Southeast Asia as a whole — to stem the flow of nationals being lured in the first place.
South Korean Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Jina said that the repatriation “confirmed the Cambodian government’s continued crackdown” on scam operations and its close cooperation with Seoul on the matter.
“Our government will build and actively use an effective system to eradicate scams targeting South Koreans in Cambodia,” she said.
A senior police official said that Cambodian authorities had agreed to notify Seoul of arrests of South Koreans and send them home to face justice under South Korean law.
Authorities would focus on uncovering the structure, scale,and networks behind the scams, which often involve voice phishing operations, they said.
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