Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet recently addressed cross-border online fraud and enforcement in an AFP interview, describing Chen Zhi’s arrest and transfer. The report described regional crackdowns driven by China over the previous year that had seen thousands of people working in scam compounds in Cambodia and Myanmar released and repatriated, many to China. Chen was arrested in Cambodia and sent to China in January that year.
Hun Manet said Chen had advised both him and his father but, before the allegations emerged, had been regarded in Phnom Penh as a businessman contributing to the economy. He said background checks had not revealed problems and that authorities had not known of the alleged wrongdoing, taking action when they learned of it. He explained that Chen was sent to China rather than the United States because of nationality: an investigation found he had obtained Cambodian citizenship using forged documentation, so it was revoked, leaving only Chinese nationality. Hun Manet said this required his return to his country of origin under the law.
KPS99TV compiled report.
