Cambodia Repatriates 79 Thais Amid Intensified Crackdown on Cross‑Border Crime

BANTEAY MEANCHEY, Cambodia, July 10, 2026 (KPT) – Cambodian authorities on Friday repatriated 79 Thai nationals who were found to have entered the country illegally and worked without authorisation, officials said, in the latest move underscoring Phnom Penh’s tougher stance on border enforcement.

The group, comprising both men and women, was handed over to Thai officials at the Poipet International Border Checkpoint in Banteay Meanchey province. Cambodian authorities said the operation was conducted in coordination with Thai counterparts and followed agreed legal procedures.

The handover comes weeks after Cambodia deported 49 Thai nationals accused of involvement in online scam operations through the same checkpoint on June 23. In late April, police deported 635 Thai nationals arrested in Poipet for links to illegal online businesses and transnational criminal networks, bringing the total number of deported Thais this year to more than 600.

Police Commissioner‑General Sar Thet this week ordered law enforcement agencies nationwide to intensify operations against online scam networks, drug trafficking and other forms of organised crime.

He warned that terrorism, transnational crime and the growing use of digital technology to facilitate illegal activities posed significant threats to Cambodia’s security and international reputation.

Authorities said the crackdown is part of a broader regional effort to dismantle cybercrime syndicates operating along the frontier.

Chhay Sinarith, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Commission and Head of the CCOS Secretariat, reaffirmed Cambodia’s commitment to closer regional cooperation, stressing the need to investigate, disrupt and prosecute networks engaged in online fraud, money laundering and human trafficking.