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Police probing 45 Koreans extradited from Cambodia for fraud

Published: 19 Oct. 2025, 14:26

Korean nationals who had been detained by Cambodian police are repatriated and arrive at Incheon International Airport on Oct. 18. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The anticorruption unit of the Chungnam Provincial Police Agency is investigating 45 Korean nationals recently extradited from Cambodia on suspicion of fraud and other charges, authorities said Sunday.

According to police, the suspects are believed to have been involved in illegal “investment leading chatrooms,” where so-called experts provide real-time stock tips and trading instructions via group chats on platforms like KakaoTalk or Telegram to lure victims into fraudulent investments. The agency said it plans to request arrest warrants later in the day.

A team of around 150 officers, including night duty personnel, has been assigned to the case to conduct intensive questioning.

Authorities are focusing on whether the suspects were coerced into committing crimes after being kidnapped and detained, or whether they knowingly and willingly participated in the operations. The investigation also aims to uncover the size and structure of the fraud ring.

Some of the suspects claim to be victims themselves, and police are currently evaluating whether those claims are genuine or an attempt to evade prosecution. Police are also analyzing confiscated materials obtained from Cambodian authorities to determine if any suspects profited from the crimes or if there’s evidence of voluntary involvement.

Korean nationals who had been detained by Cambodian police are repatriated and arrive at Incheon International Airport on Oct. 18. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The Korean government on Saturday repatriated 64 Korean nationals who had been detained in Cambodia. Of those, 45 are being investigated by the South Chungcheong police. They have been held in detention centers in Cheonan, Seosan, Hongseong, Boryeong and Gongju.

“These 45 individuals were already subjects of investigation,” a police official said. “We were about to announce interim findings when this case in Cambodia came to light.”

The remaining individuals were sent to other jurisdictions, with 15 sent to the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, and one each to the Daejeon, Seoul Seodaemun, Gyeonggi Gimpo and Gangwon Wonju police precincts.

Of the 64 returnees, 59 were apprehended during a Cambodian law enforcement raid on a scam compound, while five others escaped and reported themselves to authorities. Four more Korean nationals who had been detained in Cambodia were flown back to Korea on commercial flights on Tuesday and Friday.

Korean nationals who had been detained by Cambodian police are repatriated and arrive at Incheon International Airport on Oct. 18. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The suspects are believed to have participated in various online fraud schemes, including voice phishing, investment scams and romance scams, based in a compound in Cambodia. Some were listed on Interpol’s red notice list. Cambodian courts reportedly approved the forced deportation of several individuals who refused to return voluntarily out of fear of prosecution in Korea.

This is Korea’s third repatriation of a large group of criminal suspects via chartered flight, and is the largest return of suspects in a single operation from one country in Korean history.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM BANG-HYUN [[email protected]]