Cambodia deports 74 Chinese nationals arrested for telecom fraud

APD NEWS

text

Cambodia deported 74 Chinese nationals on Thursday wanted on suspicion of extorting money from people over the Internet and by telephone, Cambodian police said.

It brings the number of Chinese nationals deported for suspected telecom scams to 364 this year, Uk Heisela, head of the Cambodian police told reporters at a press conference at Phnom Penh airport.

Several hundred suspected scammers have been arrested in Cambodia, which has emerged as a major center for rackets that have cost victims billions of dollars.

A team of Chinese police officers arrived at the airport to pick up the suspects.

Uk Heisela said the 74 suspects, including 14 women, were detained on October 5 in the coastal town of Sihanoukville.

Two Indonesians were also deported.

In some instances, the scammers had allegedly obtained naked pictures of their victims and used them for blackmail, police said.

More than 400 Chinese nationals were arrested in Cambodia in August alone for suspected links to telecom scams.

(REUTERS)