Cambodian authorities have arrested a prominent businessman featured in a 2023 BBC Eye investigation into alleged online scam operations as part of a wider effort to tackle organised online fraud.
Kuong Li, a 50-year-old Cambodian national, was charged with illegal recruitment for exploitation, aggravated fraud, organised crime and money laundering relating to alleged offences committed in Cambodia and elsewhere since 2019.
On 15 January, a Phnom Penh court ordered him to be remanded in custody pending further proceedings.
Kuong Li was featured in The Pig Butchering Romance Scam, a BBC Eye investigation into allegations of human trafficking and fraud inside scam compounds in South East Asia.
The programme, broadcast in March 2023, focused in part on the Huang Le compound, a venue under Kuong Li's ownership in the coastal city of Sihanoukville.
The documentary followed the account of 'Didi', a Chinese man who said he left home after being promised a well-paid job, but was trafficked into Cambodia and forced to work inside the walled compound.
Didi said he was made to work from 20:00 to 08:00 local time, targeting victims in Europe and the United States, and was not permitted to leave the complex.
In a video diary recorded inside his dormitory, Didi detailed his experiences and the extreme conditions faced by trafficking victims, which included physical abuse and forced labor.
The documentary identified Kuong Li as the owner of the Huang Le compound, which was revealed to house various online scam activities. Authorities have since confirmed that investigations into wider networks linked to organized online fraud are ongoing.
While Kuong Li remains in pre-trial detention, the Cambodian government is under pressure to address the issue of scam operations linked to human trafficking, as highlighted by international reports.
Prime Minister Hun Manet has emphasized that combating tech-savvy crimes is a priority for his administration.
