CAMBODIA — A Japanese man has been rescued from a telecommunications fraud base in the capital of Phnom Penh, with local authorities identifying him as a victim of a human trafficking syndicate, reports TBS News (May 6).
On Monday, Cambodian investigative authorities raided an apartment complex utilized as a hub for scam operations.
During the bust, police detained 16 Chinese and Vietnamese nationals on suspicion of involvement in fraudulent activities, and took the Japanese man into protective custody.
According to investigators, the victim is believed to have been abducted in Banteay Meanchey, a northwestern province bordering Thailand. The crime syndicate had been holding him captive in the Phnom Penh building with the intention of trafficking him to another scam facility.
The Japanese Embassy in Cambodia stated it is “currently confirming the facts” regarding the incident.
The rescue highlights a dark and growing trend. In recent years, there has been a surge of cases involving Japanese nationals either being arrested as perpetrators or rescued as forced laborers at cyber scam hubs across Cambodia.
