Military Officers Guarded Cambodian Scam Compounds

Cambodian police and soldiers served as private guards at scam compounds where thousands of people were forced into online fraud, Amnesty International reported. The rights group said these officers formed part of a system that enabled slavery and rape, with some guards using electric batons to keep workers confined.

The investigation relied on interviews with 151 survivors, site visits to 82 compounds, and social media videos from dozens of guard accounts. These materials showed people in company uniforms and allowed Amnesty to connect illicit operations to five well-connected private security firms. The organization identified more than 20 active military and police members at the sites, some of whom worked openly as guards.

Agnès Callamard, the group's secretary general, said survivors had described seeing military or police figures inside the compounds for years. She noted that these accounts previously lacked independent verification. Callamard stated that the guards controlled exits, hunted down escapees, and enforced compliance through fear and violence. She added that without them, the system of mass exploitation could not have functioned.

Survivors described guards administering electric shocks, beating workers, and holding people in dark rooms. Some women reported that guards stood watch while compound managers raped them. The report, titled Official Business, identifies Leap Somnang as the company with the largest footprint. It was linked to at least 15 compounds across eight provinces, and twelve survivors identified its guards, uniforms, or logo.

Amnesty alleges that Leap Somnang is controlled by Ban Sophat, a colonel in the armed forces who publicly served as the company's chair. The group supplied photos showing him with company guards at two compounds. In a letter, Sophat denied holding ownership, director, or management roles. He said he served as an adviser to the company owner and that appearing in a photograph did not mean he knew of or took part in the activities there. Leap Somnang did not respond to requests for comment.

The United Nations estimates that hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked into southeast Asia, often lured by promises of office jobs. Annual losses from these scams are estimated at $100 billion. Cambodia launched its largest crackdown on these operations in July 2025, and authorities say they have shut down hundreds of centers. Callamard warned that the infrastructure of impunity has not been dismantled despite the industry now appearing dormant.

Cambodia's interior ministry told Amnesty that it disciplined 77 police officers and prosecuted six private security guards for illegal use of stun batons. It detained 17 military, police, and civil officials for colluding with criminals. The ministry said 3,477 suspects had been sent to court, citing a policy of no tolerance, no exemption, and no retreat.