柬美执法部门建立联合工作组打击跨国犯罪

Specifically, on 22 September 2026, Ministry of Interior Deputy Spokesperson Mr. Touch Sokhak highlighted to the public the cooperative research and investigation into 12 cases through a bilateral MoU between the General Commissariat of National Police and the FBI, as well as a trilateral MoU involving the General Commissariat of National Police, the General Department of Immigration, and the FBI. According to Mr. Touch Sokhak, specialized authorities under the Ministry of Interior, with the General Commissariat of National Police as the core agency, interviewed 6 suspects across 6 cases related to cryptocurrency accounts as requested by the US side. As a result, they found that these individuals were not involved in cryptocurrency offenses. Simultaneously, Cambodian authorities investigated user identities linked to IP addresses in 3 cases, informing the US side that the IP addresses were untraceable. Related to crypto, Cambodian police also investigated 2 cases of fraud involving cryptocurrency investments; as a result, authorities under the Ministry of Interior found that the suspects were not involved in cryptocurrency investments. He added, "Our authorities also investigated the identity of a vehicle suspected of being used for online scams in 1 case at the request of our counterpart, and as a result, specialized authorities discovered that the vehicle owner had moved to a new residence, leaving no further clues for investigation." Within the framework of scam offenses, the Ministry of Interior Deputy Spokesperson stated that the US FBI provided information regarding a total of 50 online scam sites situated across 7 provinces, including Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey, Kandal, Svay Rieng, Kampot, Tboung Khmum, and Preah Sihanouk provinces. He asserted, "Upon receiving that information, authorities under the Ministry of Interior, at both the national and sub-national levels, launched investigative operations, identified targets, and successfully eradicated all 50 sites." Regarding these scam cases, he added, "The Director of the United States FBI visited the Kingdom of Cambodia to hold working discussions with Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, during which he highly commended Cambodia's firm commitment to suppressing and eradicating online scams. He particularly noted Cambodia's openness, operating within a framework of transparency and accountability with the FBI to demonstrate its goodwill and integrity." He recalled that the outcomes of the cooperation between Cambodia and the FBI were shared by the FBI Director with renowned global journalists, highlighting it as a success for the United States in collaborating to crack down on and eradicate online scams in Cambodia. He further emphasized that the FBI continuously provided information, and the Cambodian side demonstrated a welcoming attitude, genuine sincerity, integrity, and responsibility, accompanied by a true will to eradicate these online scams. This reality stands in stark contrast to the absolute slander and distortion propagated by certain groups or countries. It should be recalled that in 2016, the General Commissariat of National Police of Cambodia signed a bilateral MoU with the US FBI regarding the exchange of information, identification, and fingerprints. Fast forward to 2019, the General Commissariat of National Police and the General Department of Immigration also signed a trilateral MoU with the US FBI with two main objectives: 1. To cooperate in the investigation and crackdown on offenders who have committed acts of terrorism, human trafficking, human smuggling, sex tourism, crimes against children, illegal drug trafficking, arms smuggling, money laundering, cybercrime, and tracking down fugitives; and 2. To establish a joint working group known as a Task Force. By Seng Sokhun