Cambodia accuses Thailand of taking anti-fraud activities as a shield to consolidate illegal control of Cambodian territory in the O'Smach area, Oddar Meanchey province, and warns that the appearance of foreign military attachés in the disputed area is an attempt to legitimize acts of encroachment at an internationally recognized border crossing.
A senior Cambodian government official has strongly rejected Thailand's illegal exercise of sovereignty through law enforcement activities at locations accused of being fraud centers in O'Smach.
Cambodia fully supports international cooperation in the fight against transnational cybercrime, including online fraud and human trafficking. However, we strongly oppose the Thai military's efforts to consolidate the illegal occupation of Cambodia's sovereign territory under the guise of anti-fraudulent law enforcement," the official shared with local media.
O'Smach has been an international border crossing since 2002, according to the agreement of both sides. The presence of foreign military attachés here is clear evidence that Thai soldiers have invaded and illegally occupied Cambodian territory, which is undeniable," the official emphasized.
Earlier, on February 3, Lieutenant General Maly Socheata, spokesman for the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense, said that a meeting of the Cambodia - Thailand Regional Border Committee (RBC) was held at the Choam-Sa Ngam international border gate, Anlong Veng district, Oddar Meanchey province.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the 4th Military Region of Cambodia and the 2nd Military Region of Thailand, taking place under the supervision of the ASEAN Observatory Group (AOT) of the two countries.
According to Lieutenant General Socheata, the two sides did not reach a common voice during the discussion. Therefore, the two sides agreed to return to their headquarters to continue exchanging documents and negotiating until consensus is reached.
Also on February 3, the Thai military escorted foreign military attachés and officers of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to inspect facilities suspected of being fraud centers in O'Smach.
According to Bangkok, the inspection discovered many abandoned buildings believed to have been used by fraud gangs through switchboards, along with traces of transnational fraud, including fake police stations, fake government offices of many countries and fake USD.
This area is believed to have been illegally occupied by the Thai army after three weeks of firepower exchange with Cambodia in the border area in December 2025. However, according to Cambodian officials, the above visit is just an excuse to justify the continued presence of the Thai army on Cambodian territory.
