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Prosecutors seek arrest warrants for 72 online scam suspects repatriated from Cambodia

Published: 25 Jan. 2026, 19:18

Korean nationals detained in Cambodia over alleged involvement in scam operations arrive at Incheon International Airport through a chartered flight for investigation on Jan. 23. [YONHAP]

Prosecutors have requested arrest warrants for 72 of the 73 Korean suspects repatriated from Cambodia over their alleged involvement in online scam operations, officials said Sunday.

The National Police Agency's National Office of Investigation said the arrest warrants were requested for all but one suspect, whose alleged offenses were deemed too minor.

The move comes a day after police requested arrest warrants for the suspects, who had been detained in Cambodia and brought home Friday on a chartered flight to face investigation. It marked the nation's largest repatriation of criminal suspects from a single country.

The suspects are accused of swindling a combined 48.6 billion won ($33.1 million) from 869 Korean victims.

Of the 72 suspects, a court granted an arrest warrant for one individual over allegedly siphoning off 19.4 billion won from 229 people by impersonating a global financial company at a Cambodia-based call center until July last year.

In addition, 54 suspects, including 49 allegedly involved in no-show scams, were scheduled to attend warrant hearings later Sunday, while 17 others charged with romance scams were set to appear at warrant hearings on Monday.

Yonhap