25 Japanese nationals deported from Cambodia

The suspects were arrested in September.

Cambodia.- Some 25 Japanese nationals who were arrested in September have been deported to Japan on a charter flight arranged by the Japanese government. They were arrested for suspected involvement in a cyber scam operation.

See also: Cambodia seeks Indonesian help to combat illegal online gambling

In August, the United Nations Human Rights Office reported that criminal gangs had coerced hundreds of thousands of people in Southeast Asia into participating in illegal online scams, including fake romantic schemes, fraudulent investment pitches, and illicit gambling operations.

In June, Interpol issued a warning about an escalating global trafficking crisis, highlighting cases in countries such as Cambodia, Singapore, Myanmar and the Philippines. It said the victims were primarily Chinese speakers from China, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore but that there were also victims in South America, East Africa and Western Europe.

See also: Cambodian regulator warn influencers over online gambling promotion