Seoul: Prosecutors have requested arrest warrants for 72 out of 73 South Korean suspects repatriated from Cambodia over their alleged involvement in online scam operations, officials confirmed.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the National Police Agency's National Office of Investigation has decided to pursue arrest warrants for all but one of the suspects, as the alleged offenses of this individual were considered too minor. This development follows the police's request for arrest warrants for all 73 suspects, who were detained in Cambodia and returned to South Korea on a chartered flight for further investigation. This case represents the largest repatriation of criminal suspects from a single country in South Korea's history.

The suspects are accused of defrauding a total of 48.6 billion won (approximately US$33.1 million) from 869 South Korean victims. Among the 72 suspects, a court has already granted an arrest warrant for one individual accused of embezzling 19.4 billion won from 229 people by posing as a global financial company at a call center based in Cambodia until July of the previous year.

Furthermore, 54 suspects, including 49 individuals allegedly involved in no-show scams, were scheduled to attend warrant hearings later on Sunday. Meanwhile, 17 other suspects facing charges related to romance scams are set to appear at warrant hearings on Monday.