More than 370 Taiwanese people stranded in Cambodia
According to CNA, as of August 21, more than 370 Taiwanese people have been stranded in Cambodia, after being lured by criminal groups to work in the country with promises of paying high salaries for technology jobs.
As scams to work in Cambodia have increased, police and officials have recently visited 4,679 Taiwanese households with members aged 20-45 - who have recently arrived in Cambodia and have not returned - to determine who may have fallen into the job scam.
The poll found that 144 people may have been detained illegally in Cambodia; more than 200 reported that family members or friends were recruited for such scams between March and July.
Of those lured to Cambodia, 99% were forced to make fraudulent calls, while a small number were trafficked for sexual exploitation.
Previously, Taichung police arrested suspect Chiu, accused of working with the mastermind behind the human trafficking plot in Cambodia on August 18 - Taiwan News reported.
The arrest came after a 41-year-old woman surnamed Chang - known as the " countess" of the recent illegal activities that shocked Taiwan. Suspect Chiu was accused of luring two victims, a woman surnamed Wang and a man surnamed Hsu to work as a machinery maker for a salary of 100,000 yuan ($3,320) a month.
According to the police, Chiu met the couple on social media and introduced them as recruiting them in the Facebook group "Doing extra work". On June 7, Chiu drove the two to Dao Vien city, where they waited in a hotel while Chiu processed procedures related to passports and visas, then dispatched them to Dao Vien international airport.
Hsu returned to Taiwan on July 17. Authorities are confirming Wang's residence and safety.
When arresting Chiu, the police also seized evidence and stolen items, including phones and bank books. Chiu has been handed over to prosecutors and will be charged with illegally giving people for the purpose of profiteering and violating the Law on Prevention of Human Trafficking and Prevention of Organized Crime.
Cambodia investigates
Cambodia has said it is trying to help foreigners held by human traffickers. AP quoted Cambodian Home Affairs Minister Sar Kheng as saying that the ministry is launching a national inspection of all foreigners living in Cambodia, except for the Embassy staff. The search is specifically looking for foreigners who have become victims of human trafficking.
Police in the two provinces of Kandal and Preah Sihanouk have inspected the situation of foreigners residing or working in hotels andcasinoes. Some people have been arrested on suspicion of organizing human trafficking and some victims have been protected.
Police are still trying to determine whether those who say they are victims are telling the truth.
Minister Sar Kheng did not specify how many people were arrested or what their nationality was, but confirmed that some foreigners told police that they were drawn by the promise of a job with high salaries.
However, when they arrived in Cambodia, they were forced to work illegally with jobs that were not as agreed - Minister Sar Kheng said.
42 Vietnamese citizens flee from Cambodian card games
In another related development, 42 Vietnamese citizens fled a card games in Chrey Thum hamlet, Sampeou Poun commune, Kaoh Thom district, Kandal province, Cambodia, swimming across Binh Di river, An Giang to return home. 40 people escaped, 1 person was captured by the Cambodian casino, and a 16-year-old boy drowned while swimming in the river.
Minister Sar Kheng said that Cambodian police have detained a casino manager and are investigating the incident.
One victim said that being scammed out of a casino in Cambodia for four months was like hell, forced to work 14 hours a day, otherwise he would be beaten to death.
On August 19, 2022, answering a question from Lao Dong Newspaper asking to inform about the work of protecting citizens in the above incident, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam Le Thi Thu Hang said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam has directed Vietnamese representative agencies in Cambodia to contact local authorities to clarify information, inspect this facility, request the Cambodian side to support the search for missing people as well as investigate the cause of the incident and urgently deploy measures to protect citizens.
Faced with the situation of many Vietnamese people being scammed and brokering to work illegally in Cambodia, in recent times, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vietnamese representative agencies in Cambodia have closely coordinated with ministries, branches and localities in the country, especially localities bordering Cambodia and Cambodian authorities to receive information, verify, implement many measures to protect citizens, promptly support citizens in difficulty, disaster and rescue, bring more than 500 citizens back to the country safely, and support procedures for thousands of other citizens.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs requests that relevant agencies and domestic press increase propaganda and warnings to raise people's awareness of going to work abroad.
The Investigation Security Agency of An Giang Provincial Police has temporarily detained 2 subjects to clarify their involvement in organizing illegal exits to Cambodia in the above case.
