Cambodia Breaking News (Kampong Speu): At 10:09 am on July 17, 2019, the police force of provincial immigration office in cooperation with the criminal police force and the district governor, led by Lieutenant General Nhem Sam, deputy provincial deputy police chief, coordinated by Khy Samphos, Deputy Prosecutor of the Kompong Speu Court of First Instance, raided the site of the mango plantation belonging to Hieving Eng.

They detained 18 foreigners in the police raid, including six Chinese nationals and 12 Taiwanese nationals, who were involved in an online money laundering case (VOIP).

UPDATE: According to this report, the Taiwanese gang were reported to police by suspicious locals, and they were also found with 52 fake US dollar bills.

PHNOM PENH (The Phnom Penh Post/ANN) - Eighteen Chinese nationals were arrested for internet scams and extortion in Kampong Speu province’s Baset district.
Eighteen Chinese nationals who were arrested on Wednesday for
internet scams and extortion in Kampong Speu province’s Baset district
are currently being questioned at the provincial police headquarters.

Baset district police chief Um Chamroeun told The Post on Thursday
that the Kampong Speu provincial task force cracked down and detained
the suspects around 10am on Wednesday. Among the 18, 12 were Taiwanese
nationals.

Chamroeun said the ages of the detained ranged from 20 to more than
30. He said he did not know exactly what crimes they were accused of.

He said the group worked out of an office in Svay Chachib commune’s
Char village, which they had leased for two months from an intermediary
lessor.

He could not confirm whether the suspects were involved in internet scams or not.

“The Chinese suspects came to stay without informing local
authorities, but the police were made aware of the case because locals
reported it to them. We sent our informants who then confirmed the
Chinese suspects were there,” said Chamroeun.

The report said police seized five laptops, 29 mobile phones, 33 desk
phones, four iPads, one desktop computer, two printers and office
equipment along with two piles of a total of 52 fake bills of US
currency.
https://elevenmyanmar.com/news/eighteen ... -extortion

UPDATE: Anti-Corruption Unit Accuses Police of Taking $40,000 Bribe.

The Anti-Corruption Unit is Questioning Three Police Officers Over the Release of 18 Chinese Suspects
July 22, 2019, 5:36 PM


Cambodia Breaking News (Phnom Penh): The Anti-Corruption Unit has sent three police officers before Phnom Penh court, including a deputy director of the Ministry of Interior's Department of Identification (DHS), on charges of corruption. The Unit will continue to investigate a number of related police officers over allegations of a US $40,000 bribe to the police after the arrest of 18 Chinese nationals in Kampong Speu.

Police officers arrested include: 1. Mr. Seou Sitha, male, deputy director, Department of General Department of Identity. 2. Name of Gender Male, Office of the National Identity Card of the General Department of Identity. 3. Vong Sopheap, Office of Procedural and Compliance of the General Department of Immigration.

Gen. Y Sok Khy, Director of the Anti-Terrorism and Transnational Crime Department of the National Police Commissariat said that the three officers confessed to taking a $40,000 bribe to release the 18 Chinese nationals who were arrested on charges of internet extortion.
The 18 Chinese nationals were arrested at a rented spot in Chbar village, Svay Chor Chak commune, Kompong Speu province, on the 17th July 2019.

All three police officers arrested at the General Department of Immigration and Immigration Department of the Ministry of Interior were arrested by the Department of Counterterrorism and Transnational crimes and sent to court on 21 July 2019. Senior Anti-Corruption Co-President HE Om Yentieng has said that the investigation into corruption is still underway and there may be more police officials arrested.

15 mins ago - BREAKING NEWS
Three police officers nabbed over accepting bribes
Interior Ministry’s Anti-Terrorism and Transnational Crime Department has arrested three police officers suspected of attempting to accept bribery in exchange for the release of dozens of Chinese nationals caught operating VoIP scam.

Lieutenant General Y Sok Khy, director of the Ministry’s Anti-Terrorism and Transnational Crime Department, today said that his department has detained three police officers last week for attempting to accept bribery in order to release 18 Chinese nationals caught running VoIP scam in Kampong Speu province.

“We arrested them on July 18 because they were involved in accepting $40,000 in bribery for the release of Chinese nationals,” Lt Gen Sok Khy said.

Lt Gen Sok Khy identified the three officers as Soeu Sitha, deputy director of Identification Department of General Department of Identification, Rath Pin, Khmer Identity bureau officer at General Department of Identification, and Van Sopheap, legal procedure bureau officer at the General Department of Immigration.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50626132/t ... ng-bribes/

D'oh! Didn't realise it was the Chinese that asked for them to be arrested...

Phnom Penh: On July 24, 2019, three senior police officials involved in the release of 18 Chinese criminals were again sent to the court by the Anti-Corruption Unit to continue procedures.



The three police officers have been accused of accepting bribes for the release of 18 Chinese nationals, arrested by Kampong Speu police on July 18, 2019 for extorting money online.

And every other cop in the room is going "there but by the grace of buddha go I"
and looking a bit uncomfortable

UPDATE

Phnom Penh, Cambodia News: After the three suspects were questioned until 8pm on the evening of 24 July, Prosecutor General, Mr. Kuch Kimlong, said that on the morning of July 25, 2019, Soun Noa, deputy prosecutor of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, has ordered that the three police officers continue to be detained by the Anti-Corruption Unit.



The case is still under investigation. Two other men, who remain unidentified, are being sought by the authorities in connection with the same crime and arrest warrants have been issued. The police officers are accused of accepting a bribe to release 18 Chinese nationals arrested for VoIP offenses in Kampong Speu.

Twelve of the "Chinese" suspects arrested in Kampong Speu are reported to be Taiwanese nationals.

Twelve Taiwanese held in Cambodia, MOFA seeks access
Staff writer, with CNA
Twelve Taiwanese were arrested in Cambodia last week on suspicion of engaging in telecom fraud, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, adding that the nation’s nearest representative office is requesting consular access to visit the suspects.

“We are fully aware of a case in which 18 telecom fraud suspects, including 12 Taiwanese, were apprehended in Kampong Speu in Cambodia on July 17,” deputy spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) told a weekly news conference in Taipei yesterday.

With the case still under investigation, the ministry has instructed its representative office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to contact Cambodian police and authorities to get details and ascertain if any other Taiwanese were involved.

“We are requesting consular access from Cambodian authorities to check the condition of the Taiwanese suspects,” Ou said.

Saying that the ministry would ask Cambodian authorities to ensure the basic rights of the suspects, Ou also advised Taiwanese abroad to abide by the laws of their host countries and avoid becoming involved in illegal activity.

The English-language Khmer Times on Friday last week reported that police and immigration officers had on Wednesday arrested 18 Chinese on suspicion of telecom fraud in Kampong Speu Province.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/ ... 2003719232

Well, to be fair, China would argue they're Chinese, no?

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