South Korean and Cambodian authorities have arrested 26 members of a scam ring in Phnom Penh accused of defrauding and sexually exploiting Korean women, the South Korean presidential office said, according to Yonhap News Agency.
The group allegedly posed as prosecutors and financial officials to trick victims into believing they were under investigation, extracting money and then pressuring them into self-confinement and filming sexual exploitation content.
The Blue House said the joint operation by a cross-border crime task force, Korean police team in Cambodia and the National Intelligence Service raided the group's base on January 5.
Victims totaled 165 with losses reaching 26.7 billion won (HK$142 million). Spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung said the group evolved from simple fraud to exploiting psychological weaknesses for sexual exploitation, severely damaging lives.
Separately, YTN reported that Korean and Cambodian police arrested a 40-year-old Korean man, surnamed Jung, in December for alleged investment fraud. Known as "Manbok," he is fluent in Chinese and allegedly planned a 20 billion won (HK$106 million) scam with a Chinese gang leader.
