Phnom Penh Governor Orders Crackdown on Drugs, Online Scams

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Oct. 7, 2025) — Phnom Penh Governor Khuong Sreng has ordered city authorities and law enforcement agencies to intensify efforts against drug-related crimes and online scams, calling them persistent threats to public safety and social order.

Speaking Monday at a meeting of the Phnom Penh Unified Command Committee, which he chairs, Sreng urged officials across the capital’s 14 districts to remain vigilant, particularly in identifying cybercrime operations concealed in residential areas and condominiums.

“Combating online scams is an important issue that the Royal Government continues to prioritize,” Sreng said. “If any location is identified as being involved in such scams, it must be immediately investigated and shut down.”

Authorities estimate that about 80% of known online scam operations in the capital have been dismantled in recent months.

Sreng warned, however, that criminal networks may be shifting tactics and called for continued inspections using intelligence-led approaches and stronger interagency cooperation.

Sreng also highlighted the growing impact of drug-related offenses, which he said remain deeply entrenched in Phnom Penh communities.

“Drugs are still a major issue. Authorities must continue to treat this with seriousness,” he said, urging police and the Royal Gendarmerie to strengthen collaboration for more effective enforcement.

He called on the Ministry of Interior’s Anti-Drug Department to coordinate closely with Phnom Penh Municipal Police to ensure joint operations are well-planned, professional and transparent.

The directive comes amid ongoing national efforts to dismantle criminal syndicates operating in Cambodia, some of which have been linked to transnational cybercrime and trafficking networks.

Authorities have conducted a series of raids in recent months on compounds suspected of hosting scam operations, often involving foreign nationals and victims of human trafficking.