Cambodian authorities reject assertion of human trafficking tied to illegal casino jobs

Nine Thai nationals were detained by Cambodian authorities after they questioned their assertions that they were duped into believing they were being taken advantage of and offered lucrative employment at casinos. Authorities think the criminals made a deliberate effort to set Poipet on fire. Prior Thai media reports claim that the gang arrived in Cambodia under the pretense of working in casinos before joining up with regional criminal organizations to commit illegal phone and internet scams.

When Cambodian investigators searched a Poipet home in response to the nine Thais’ claims, they found 17 more Thai people—seven men and ten women. Authorities detained and questioned the three. The nine Thai people were engaged in a violent altercation that ended with the property being purposefully set on fire, according to the Cambodian police, who refute the accusations of human trafficking. They said that the group turned on any employees who dared to intervene.

Human rights group People Network in Sa Kaeo province disputes the claims made by the government, which are at odds with the Cambodian account of events. They think that more than thirty people left the location where the nine Thai workers were allegedly forced to participate in illegal phone scams by pretending to be victims of human trafficking. These persons called the human rights group in distress, claiming that Thai laborers in Cambodia were the subject of a human trafficking network that was allegedly run by a Chinese man named Ah Wang.

Following their escape, the nine Thais informed Thai authorities, leading to articles in Thai media. Up to 200 more Thai individuals are reportedly being kept prisoner by the same group. People claimed to have seen the murder of other Thai nationals for refusing to participate in fraudulent telephone operations, and they also detailed physical abuse and intimidation.

The conflicting accounts in this instance make one wonder about Cambodia’s efforts to combat human trafficking. Should the accusations against the Thai nationals prove to be true, it may cast doubt on Cambodia’s assertions that it actively combats fraud and human trafficking inside its borders.

Original story by: Casino.org