Phnom penh: A chartered plane carrying 64 South Koreans, who were detained in Cambodia over online scam operations, headed for their home country on Saturday, amid growing concerns over criminal rings targeting nationals in the Southeast Asian country. The plane left Techo International Airport near Phnom Penh at 1:15 a.m. (local time), days after a South Korean government response team was dispatched to Cambodia to assist the Korean nationals implicated in online scams run by local crime organizations. It is expected to land at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, at 8:45 a.m. (Korea time).
According to Yonhap News Agency, a recent case involving a South Korean university student who was tortured and killed in Cambodia in August has heightened awareness about the increasing number of nationals being lured to Cambodia with high-paying job offers. These individuals are frequently coerced into participating in online scams that target South Koreans, often under confinement and violence from crime rings.
Most of the returnees face criminal charges in South Korea for their involvement in online scams, with detention warrants issued against them and some under Interpol Red Notices, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac stated on Friday. Police officers, outnumbering the returnees, also boarded the flight to escort them. Upon arrival in South Korea, they will be arrested and taken to police stations for investigation.
The returnees are those apprehended by Cambodian immigration authorities over suspected criminal involvement. South Korea is advocating for the establishment of a police unit in Cambodia exclusively dedicated to crimes involving South Koreans, or a "Korean desk," to address and apprehend the remaining nationals believed to be involved in similar cases. Wi mentioned the possibility of dispatching another chartered plane if a sufficient number of South Koreans are apprehended in Cambodia.
Earlier this week, a foreign ministry official reported that approximately 80 South Koreans linked to job scams in Cambodia remain missing, or their safety cannot be confirmed.