PHNOM PENH — Cambodia is gathering evidence against suspected “masterminds” of massive cyber fraud operations, the country’s anti-scam minister said, amid criticism that the government’s crackdown has failed to reach those ultimately responsible.
Legal action, “whether it involves the mastermind, the co-conspirator, owner, enabler or protector, it requires time and also it requires evidence,” Chhay Sinarith, who heads a government commission on combating fraud, told Reuters on the sidelines of a global anti-scam conference in the capital Phnom Penh on Thursday.
“That’s why it is of utmost importance for us to cooperate,” he said, adding that information given by international partners had enabled action against some suspects and that premature disclosure of investigations could cause suspects to flee.
Cambodia this week hosted representatives of more than a dozen countries — including the US and China — at the conference, for discussions about tackling an industry that has tarnished the country’s reputation and damaged its economy.
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