Cambodia is tackling the complexities of human trafficking involving foreign perpetrators

On By Pranco

PHNOM PENH: Cambodia is currently tackling the complexities of human trafficking by foreigners using diverse and misleading methods, a senior official from the National Committee to Combat Trafficking in Persons (NCCT) said.

Chou Bun Eng (pictured), Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior and Permanent Vice Chairman of the NCCT, said on Tuesday (Nov 19) that most human trafficking cases involve foreign perpetrators using sophisticated methods of exploitation and manipulation.

She added that some foreigners are victims within Cambodia, while others live within the country and lure victims from abroad through fraud and manipulation.

“Some cases of human trafficking involve foreign perpetrators defrauding citizens of other nationalities or Cambodian citizens. In some cases, perpetrators target victims of the same nationality. These cases involve various forms of human trafficking, surrogacy, threats and tactics carried out online, by telephone or in public. person,” she said in a ministry media statement.

In 2023, Cambodia reported 164 cases of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, leading to the arrest of 194 individuals. Of these, 24 cases were classified as human trafficking and 140 cases involved sexual exploitation. That same year, 342 Cambodian victims were repatriated, including 322 from China.

According to the commission’s mid-year report, in the first six months of 2024, authorities handled 104 cases of human trafficking and exploitation, arrested 134 suspects and rescued 290 victims.

The NCCT annual report also showed that in 2023, the country detained and deported 2,159 foreign perpetrators involved in 512 different crimes, including 1,011 Chinese nationals.

Bun Eng could not be reached for comment on November 19.

In 2023, the US Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report ranked Cambodia at Level 3, the lowest ranking. This placed the country on par with Myanmar and lower than neighboring countries such as Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

Bun Eng urged relevant authorities to intensify efforts to combat human trafficking, an urgent global problem increasingly linked to online platforms.

“Authorities must feel the urgency to act now that Cambodia is at the bottom of the global anti-trafficking rankings. We must act decisively to tackle this problem and avoid complacency,” she said. – The Phnom Penh Post/ANN