(3rd LD) 73 suspects repatriated from Cambodia over alleged online scam crimes to face probes

▲ South Korean nationals detained in Cambodia over alleged involvement in scam operations are escorted by police officers as they arrive at Incheon International Airport, just west of Seoul, on Jan. 23, 2026. (Yonhap)

▲ South Korean nationals detained in Cambodia over alleged involvement in scam operations board a chartered flight to be repatriated home for investigation, in this photo provided by the National Police Agency on Jan. 23, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(3rd LD) S Korea-Cambodia-crime

(3rd LD) 73 suspects repatriated from Cambodia over alleged online scam crimes to face probes

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By Chae Yun-hwan

YEONGJONGDO, South Korea, Jan. 23 (Yonhap) -- A group of 73 South Korean suspects who had been detained in Cambodia over alleged involvement in online scam operations was returned home Friday on a chartered flight to face investigation, marking the nation's largest repatriation of criminal suspects from a single country.

The suspects had been detained in Cambodia after a joint investigation between South Korean and Cambodian police, and are accused of swindling a total of 48.6 billion won (US$33.1 million) from 869 South Korean victims, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

They were immediately placed under custody after boarding the plane with court-issued warrants and transferred to local police agencies nationwide for further investigation. Police plan to file for warrants to extend their detention.

As police escorted the suspects through the airport, most of them appeared to be men in their 20s and 30s, and wearing short-sleeve shirts and shorts, apparently due to the warm weather in Cambodia.

Among the suspects, 70 of them are accused of participation in online fraud activities, such as romance scams, while the remaining three face charges of robbery by hostage and gambling.

One of them is accused of fleeing to Cambodia and engaging in scams after allegedly committing a sexual crime against a minor, while another is suspected of keeping a victim hostage at a criminal compound and extorting money from their family.

They also included a couple accused of swindling 12 billion won from 104 people through romance scams using deep fake technology. The couple had evaded authorities by undergoing plastic surgery before their detention.

The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency's anti-corruption and economic crimes unit will handle 49 of the suspects involved in fraudulent booking scams involving no-shows.

The joint team had raided seven scam criminal compounds in the Southeast Asian nation, including sites in Sihanoukville, Poipet and Mondulkiri Province, to round up the suspects.

Authorities rescued men in their 20s who had been detained and tortured at the compounds.

The joint government operation involved the National Police Agency, the justice ministry, the National Intelligence Service and the foreign ministry.

The mass repatriation comes after the torture death of a Korean college student in Cambodia last August in a suspected employment scam, which sparked calls for response to crimes targeting South Koreans in the country.

A group of 64 South Koreans was brought back home from Cambodia to face investigation last October after being detained for suspected involvement in online scams.

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