The short version
- Amnesty International alleges that Cambodian police and military personnel worked as private security guards in scam compounds, facilitating mass exploitation through violence and confinement.
- Survivors describe severe abuses including electric shocks and beatings by guards linked to politically connected security firms, particularly one associated with a serving army colonel.
- While authorities claim the industry is dormant following a major crackdown, rights groups argue that the infrastructure of impunity remains intact without accountability for state actors.
A new investigation by Amnesty International alleges that members of Cambodia’s police and military forces served as private security guards in compounds where thousands of people were forced to work in online fraud operations. The report, titled Official Business, suggests that these uniformed officers played a critical role in maintaining the system of mass exploitation by controlling exits, hunting down escapees, and enforcing compliance through fear and violence. Without this security apparatus, the rights group argues, the illicit industry could not have functioned at its current scale.
The findings are based on interviews with 151 survivors, visits to 82 scam compounds, and an analysis of social media videos featuring guards in company uniforms. The investigation links these illicit operations to five well-connected private security companies. Among them, a firm called Leap Somnang reportedly had the largest footprint, with connections to at least 15 compounds across eight provinces. Twelve survivors specifically identified the uniforms or logos associated with this company’s guards.
Amnesty International alleges that Leap Somnang is controlled by Ban Sophat, who publicly served as its chair while simultaneously holding the rank of colonel in the armed forces. The report includes photographs claimed to show him alongside guards at two scamming compounds. In a letter responding to the allegations, Ban Sophat denied holding any ownership, director, or management role in the company. He stated that he had only served as an adviser to the owner and argued that appearing in a photograph at a specific location did not imply knowledge of or involvement in the activities conducted there.
Survivors have described harrowing conditions inside these facilities, including guards administering electric shocks and beatings. Some accounts detail detentions in dark rooms and instances where guards stood watch while compound managers raped women. The report identifies more than 20 members of the military and police who were seen to have an active presence at the compounds, working openly as guards. These abuses are part of a broader network that has trafficked hundreds of thousands of people into Southeast Asia from around the world.
Victims are often lured by promises of legitimate office jobs before being forced to carry out online scams targeting victims globally. One prevalent method is known as pig butchering, a form of romance fraud where criminals build fake relationships with targets to gradually extract large sums of money. The financial scale of this industry is significant, with annual losses estimated at approximately $100 billion, a figure that exceeds the gross domestic product of several countries in the region.
International pressure has mounted on nations such as Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar to dismantle these criminal networks. In July 2025, Cambodia launched what it described as its largest-ever crackdown on scam operations, promising to eliminate the industry entirely. Authorities claim to have shut down hundreds of scam centers, leading Amnesty International to describe the industry in Cambodia as currently dormant. However, signs suggest that some parts of the operation are shifting toward South Asia.
Despite claims of success, rights advocates argue that the underlying structures enabling these crimes remain intact. Agnès Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International, stated that the infrastructure of impunity has not been dismantled. She emphasized that Cambodia will not have truly ended the abusive industry until it holds accountable those who staffed, managed, financed, and protected the system. The report was presented to Cambodian authorities as part of an effort to demand transparency and justice.
The Cambodian Ministry of Interior responded by citing its ongoing crackdowns and a policy of no tolerance for transnational criminal networks. According to a letter from the ministry, authorities have disciplined 77 police officers, prosecuted six private security guards for illegal use of stun batons, and detained 17 military, police, and civil officials for colluding with criminals. The ministry also stated that 3,477 suspects had been sent to court. Amnesty International noted that it did not receive a response from Leap Somnang regarding the allegations.
The report highlights the difficulty of verifying survivor accounts in the past, noting that descriptions of military and police presence inside compounds could not be independently confirmed until now. By linking specific security companies to state actors, the investigation aims to expose the long-suspected connections between Cambodia’s billion-dollar scamming networks and politically connected figures who have largely avoided scrutiny. The findings underscore the complex challenge of addressing organized crime when state institutions are implicated in its operations.
As the industry evolves and potentially relocates, the question of accountability remains central to efforts to combat human trafficking and online fraud. The involvement of uniformed officers suggests a level of institutional complicity that goes beyond individual criminal acts. Without comprehensive reforms and genuine prosecutions of those who facilitated these abuses, the risk of recurrence remains high. The international community continues to monitor the situation closely as Cambodia navigates the balance between economic development and human rights protection.
Sources behind this briefing
Go to the original reporting
- The Guardian US↗Cambodian police and soldiers helped guard abusive scam compounds, Amnesty alleges
