Cambodian authorities reportedly arrested more than 150 foreigners in raids around the country on Wednesday as part of a crackdown on illegal gambling operations.
The arrests follow a statement by Prime Minister Hun Sen last weekend in which he ordered the crackdown on all forms of illegal gambling and promised to remove any officials who fail to act. The order was issued in response to growing reports of human trafficking and kidnappings linked to Cambodia’s rampant casino industry, with the Prime Minister describing the situation as “anarchic”.
According to The Khmer Times, the Governor of Khandal Province led the arrest of 72 Chinese nationals at a business premises on Wednesday, while a group of 82 mostly Indonesians were arrested in Koh Kong Province for suspected illegal online gambling crimes.
A spokesman for the Phnom Penh Municipal Police said it had arrested 115 people in four days from 17 to 20 September on a total of 63 gambling crimes.
