Jakarta, cartitleloans Indonesia
—
About 1,000 residents
South Korea
found working in online scam center
Cambodia
.
South Korean authorities made this discovery while carrying out an investigation into the death of a South Korean student in Cambodia who was previously reported to have been kidnapped.
South Korean Security Advisor Wi Sung Lac said on Wednesday (15/10) that around 200,000 people from various countries worked at the fraud center.Around 1,000 of them are South Korean citizens.
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“It is estimated that around 200,000 people from various countries work in Cambodia’s fraud industry, which targets victims all over the world, including in South Korea,” Wi told reporters, as quoted by AFP.
“A large number of South Koreans are also thought to work there. Although the exact figure is difficult to verify, domestic authorities generally estimate there are around 1,000 people,” he continued.
Seoul said 63 South Koreans were believed to have been detained by authorities in Cambodia.They include people previously reported missing.
“[The government] is committed to repatriating all South Korean citizens,” said Wi.
South Korea is in an uproar after a Seoul student dies as a result of being tortured.He was previously reported to have been kidnapped by a criminal group in Cambodia.
Her body was found in a pickup truck on August 8.Investigation and autopsy results showed that the student died as a result of severe torture, with bruises and wounds spread across his body, according to a Cambodian court.
Three Chinese nationals were charged with murder and online fraud in the case.The three are currently still in pre-trial detention.
South Korean authorities have reported that many citizens of the Ginseng Country have become victims of such crimes in Cambodia.They are trapped because they are tempted by offers of high-paying jobs.
Based on records from the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, around 330 South Korean citizens were reported missing or detained in Cambodia during January-August this year.However, now the number is reported to be 80.
According to rights group Amnesty International, abuses at Cambodia’s online scam centers occurred on a “mass scale”.
There are at least 53 online scam complexes in Cambodia where criminal groups carry out human trafficking, forced labor, torture and even slavery.
The South Korean government plans to “make every diplomatic effort to cooperate with Cambodia.”
On Wednesday evening, South Korea will send a special team to Cambodia to discuss cases of fake employment and fraud centers involving its citizens.
South Korea’s presidential office said the team was led by Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Ji Na and included officials from the police and national intelligence agency.
The residents who were sent home will later have to face the law because most of them are considered to have committed criminal acts because they participated in online fraud schemes.
(blq/dna)
