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.
That 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 shared secretly recorded footage with the BBC and the Global Anti-Scam Organisation (Gaso), a volunteer-run group that helps rescue and support trafficked victims. He described being made to work long hours without freedom and witnessing extreme violence against other victims.
The investigation also featured testimony from another Chinese man who suffered serious health issues in the compound. Video footage released showed the harsh conditions faced by those caught in these scam resorts.
The documentary identified Kuong Li as the owner of the Huang Le compound and reported that his business empire covered real estate, casinos, hotels and construction companies. Despite his prominence, he previously denied the allegations presented in the BBC's findings.
In response to the documentary, Cambodian authorities initially dismissed the allegations as groundless, claiming their investigations found no evidence of forced captivity within the facilities.
While he remains in pre-trial detention, Cambodian authorities have indicated that investigations are ongoing into broader networks associated with organized online fraud as they face mounting international pressure to address the issue. Cambodia's Prime Minister recently expressed his commitment to combating such scams, highlighting the importance of addressing technology-related crimes.
The United Nations estimates that hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked in South East Asia, prompting various governments in the region to step up efforts to dismantle such operations and their associated financial networks.
