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Around 1,000 to 2,000 Koreans believed to be involved in scam operations in Cambodia: NIS

Published: 22 Oct. 2025, 14:05 Updated: 22 Oct. 2025, 14:35

KIM JU-YEON
[email protected]

Koreans who had been detained in Cambodia during a government crackdown on criminal compounds enter via Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on the morning of Oct. 18. [NEWS1]

Around 1,000 to 2,000 Korean nationals are believed to be involved in scam operations in Cambodia, the spy agency told lawmakers Wednesday, amid a series of job scams involving the abduction and detention of Koreans in the country.

A key suspect in the alleged killing of a Korean university student in Cambodia was also confirmed to be the ringleader behind a major drug case in Seoul's Gangnam district in 2023, lawmakers told reporters, citing the National Intelligence Service's (NIS) closed-door briefing.

The drug scam in question targeted students in Daechi-dong, a district known for its many cram schools in Gangnam, southern Seoul. Suspects tried to collect payments after giving 13 teenage students drinks, claiming they "improved concentration" in April 2023.

The drinks, made by Chinese and Korean nationals, contained milk mixed with methamphetamine, police found.

The ringleader of the scheme worked with another suspect who was arrested in Cambodia, according to the NIS.

The NIS added that 57 Koreans were among 3,075 suspects arrested by the Cambodian police in connection with such scams between June and July this year.

BY KIM JU-YEON, YONHAP [[email protected]]