Cambodia Raids 10,000 Suspects in Illegal Gambling Locations

Cambodia has launched a wide-scale raid on thousands of suspected illegal gambling establishments, resulting in the targeting of at least 10,000 locations. Authorities have carried out the raids for over a month and they are now bringing charges against 127 of the venues, media reported.

Cambodia Hits hard Against Suspected Illegal Gambling Venues

The operation was first outlined by The Khmer Times, which cited National Police spokesman lieutenant general Chhay Kim Khoeun who confirmed that the raids were coming on the heels of an order by Cambodia’s prime minister, Hun Sen, who had decided to act firmly against illegal gambling and crack down on all of these activities. The raids took place between September 15 and October 13.

Kham confirmed that authorities have been able to take legal action against the 127 aforementioned locations and some 273 people who are connected to running them. Among those are 56 foreigners from 11 nationalities. Asked why the raid encompassed so many locations but produced so few results in comparison, Kham simply explained that the authorities wanted to act on solid evidence and not speculation, leaving many potential suspects unblemished.

However, the owners of the establishments have been asked to sign contracts that specifically argue that none of them can ever assist or run illegal gambling operations. This crackdown follows damning international reports about human trafficking that has hurt local businesses and the economy. Deprived of tourists and foreign capital, Cambodia has been on a reputation-building exercise, attempting to reestablish its reputation quickly and confidently in the world.

There have been numerous instances where this has not been exactly possible, though. Casino workers have been reported in the news to flee inhumane conditions in the country, including the case of 56 Vietnamese workers who escaped a casino in Bavet, and another 40 workers who fled across the Vietnamese Cambodian border.

Why Is Cambodia Suffering from Reputation Problem?

The Khmer Times also reached out to the Cambodia Youth Network Association head of research and advocacy program, Heng Kimhong, who tried to give a bit of a context as to what was happening. In a sense, Cambodia has good laws against illegal gambling. The shortcoming is that authorities have been turning a blind eye to the issue, or are just unwilling to address the problem in a more definitive way.

“In order to effectively prevent illegal gambling, authorities must fully implement the law, especially bringing to justice the ringleaders,” Heng said, outlining a future in which Cambodia will be far more determined to act. Bringing legal proceedings against the suspected organizers of events is definitely a step in the right direction.