Repatriated suspects from Cambodia coordinated false statements, personal info per ringleader instructions
Published: 22 Oct. 2025, 21:31
![Korean nationals who had been detained by Cambodian police are repatriated and arrive at Incheon International Airport on Oct. 18. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/10/22/452545ce-4753-4059-9290-1a025e8d32ed.jpg)
Korean nationals who had been detained by Cambodian police are repatriated and arrive at Incheon International Airport on Oct. 18. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
Several suspects repatriated from Cambodia for their involvement in criminal operations, including fraud, were found to have made coordinated false statements to Korean authorities, with some even providing fake personal information, police said.
The suspects allegedly took part in operations such as investment chat room scams targeting Korean nationals and voice phishing schemes, and received a share of the profits. Police believe the Cambodia-based criminal network had a Korean national at the top of its hierarchy.
Many of the suspects are under investigation by the South Chungcheong Provincial Police Agency, which uncovered evidence of organized deception. Investigators found that the suspects were instructed by a ring leader to lie about how they entered Cambodia.
Investigators said the ring leader instructed detained members to pay $500 to Cambodian police in exchange for having their mobile phones wiped, to leave those phones behind in detention if they were repatriated and to tell Korean authorities that the devices had been confiscated.
Further instructions included claiming to have been caught while looking for part-time work at a furniture factory and denying all criminal allegations. The ring leader allegedly told members that arrangements would be made with the Cambodian police for their release, and that they would be able to return to work at an office in Sihanoukville.
![Koreans detained in Cambodia during a crackdown on criminal compounds are deported through Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on Oct. 18. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/10/22/17343d3a-fedb-4061-ae2b-a76711514248.jpg)
Koreans detained in Cambodia during a crackdown on criminal compounds are deported through Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on Oct. 18. [NEWS1]
Multiple suspects made these same claims during interviews with Korean consular officers and police, saying they had traveled to Cambodia to work at a furniture factory. More than 10 individuals were later caught using false personal information.
During a pretrial detention hearing held Monday, police cited these findings to argue for the necessity of detention, warning that if released, the suspects could resume criminal activity under orders from accomplices still operating overseas.
Courts have granted every arrest warrant filed so far in connection with the Cambodian cases. Of the 64 individuals repatriated, 59 have been taken into custody.
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 CHUL-WOONG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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