By Sohaib Shams
Amnesty International has alleged that Cambodian police and military officers worked as private security guards in scam compounds where thousands of trafficked people were forced to carry out online fraud, according to a report released Thursday.
Report Findings
The investigation, based on 151 survivor interviews, visits to 82 compounds, and social media evidence, links the operations to five well-connected private security companies. Amnesty said these firms enabled a system of slavery and rape, with guards using electric batons to control detainees and hunt down escapees.
Key Company and Figure
The report identifies Leap Somnang as the company with the largest footprint, allegedly connected to at least 15 compounds across eight provinces. Amnesty believes Leap Somnang is controlled by Ban Sophat, a colonel in the Cambodian armed forces who publicly served as the company’s chair. The rights group provided photographs it says show him alongside company guards at two scam sites.
Ban Sophat denied any ownership or management role in a letter cited by Amnesty, stating he served only as an adviser and that his appearance in photographs did not imply knowledge of illegal activities.
Abuses Documented
Survivors described guards administering electric shocks and beatings, detaining people in “dark rooms,” and standing by while compound managers raped women. Amnesty said it identified more than 20 members of the military and police with an active presence at the compounds, including some working openly as guards.
The United Nations estimates that hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked into Southeast Asia for such operations, with annual losses from scams like “pig butchering” romance fraud reaching about $100 billion.
Crackdown and Aftermath
Cambodia launched its largest-ever crackdown on scam operations in July 2025, claiming to have shut down hundreds of centers. Amnesty said the industry is now “dormant” but warned that the infrastructure of impunity has not been dismantled.
In a response to Amnesty, the Cambodian interior ministry said it had disciplined 77 police officers, prosecuted six private security guards for illegal stun baton use, and detained 17 military, police, and civil officials for collusion with criminals. Authorities reported sending 3,477 suspects to court under a policy of “no tolerance, no exemption, and no retreat.”
