Cambodia shows commitment to fight human trafficking

The Cambodian government has once again demonstrated its determination to continue its efforts to eradicate human trafficking in the Kingdom, despite the number of cybercrimes that persist in the region.

The assurance came yesterday following a report in Indian Express, an English-language Indian newspaper, announcing that two more officers involved in human trafficking were arrested by Visakhapatnam police on Sunday, during which young unemployed people were attracted by lucrative job opportunities offered by Chinese companies in Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand.

Touch Sokhak, spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, said yesterday that the ministry continues its efforts to intervene in a timely manner and is open to cooperation from other countries to resolve these issues.

“Cambodia is willing to crack down on all crimes related to human trafficking. In terms of combating cybercrime related to human trafficking, we have conducted many investigations, rescued many victims and returned the offenders to their home countries,” Sokhak said.

“We will continue our investigations to identify the perpetrators and arrest them,” he added.

“Cambodia is open to collaboration with all countries, as this is a global crime that requires cooperation. This is not the responsibility of any particular state; this must be done in unison in order to put an end to such crimes,” he added.

In the Indian Express report, the two accused have been identified as Kolukula Veerandranath and Kommu Praveen Kumar. Veerandranath, an engineer graduate from Gajuwaka, who was promised substantial commissions for sending IT-skilled people to Cambodia.

Since 2023, Veerandranath has sent 17 young people with computer skills and good English skills to Cambodia under the pretext of legitimate employment, the newspaper added.

The racket came to light following an investigation by Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner A Ravi Shankar and Visakhapatnam City Cyber ​​Crime Inspector K Bhavani Prasad. Their efforts, including the operation in Cambodia, helped save 25 young victims of this scam.

However, Sokhak added that Cambodia is not a place where foreign criminals come to openly commit crimes, saying the country is a victim due to its rapid development of information technology.

“I don't think they consider Cambodia a safe place to commit these crimes, but we need to understand the nature of the criminals; they take advantage of every opportunity given to them to commit the offense,” he said.

“Cambodia is suffering from the rapid growth of technology and the resulting crimes are ruining the reputation of the Kingdom,” he added.

Indian Ambassador to Cambodia Dr Devyani Uttam Khobragade could not be reached for comment yesterday.

According to the Indian Embassy in Cambodia, the Indian population in Cambodia is estimated at around 2,000 people, including a transient community of small-scale vendors from eastern India selling household items.

Generally, Indians in Cambodia work in professional positions such as doctors, media professionals, NGO workers, and in various industries including pharmaceuticals, education, catering, agriculture, and plantations. Additionally, some people work for United Nations agencies and serve as advisors to Cambodian government agencies and institutions.