Nearly 7,000 Flee Kampot Scam Compound After Huang Jimao’s Arrest

Following the arrest of Huang Jimao, the telecom scam network he controlled rapidly collapsed. Cambodian officials said large numbers of workers fled the compound overnight, triggering a sudden breakdown of control.

Authorities recently opened one suspected scam base to media for inspection. The site, located at the “My Casino” complex in Kampot Province, was already deserted when police arrived, with no suspects apprehended on site.

Chea Sina Rith, Secretary-General of Cambodia’s Anti-Telecom Scam Committee, said that from January 1 to early February 2026, nationwide task forces launched a coordinated crackdown, shutting down 190 suspected scam locations and arresting 173 criminal leaders linked to scam compounds.

He added that Cambodia significantly accelerated its cross-border scam operations after the United States charged Chinese scam kingpin Chen Zhi and deported him back to China.

Inside the Kampot compound, reporters found offices filled with computers, scam scripts targeting Thai victims scattered on desks, call-recording rooms, and even mock Indian police station setups used for international fraud schemes.

Police said once news of Huang’s arrest spread, people inside the compound fled en masse. Local law enforcement was overwhelmed. “With only about 1,000 police officers and 300 gendarmes in the entire province, even full deployment couldn’t control the situation. Around 6,000 to 7,000 people left at the same time.”

On February 5, Prime Minister Hun Manet stated at the Interior Ministry’s annual meeting that telecom fraud now poses a serious threat to social order and Cambodia’s image, stressing that firm political resolve and sustained enforcement are essential.

He also warned that authorities will take uncompromising action against both scam syndicates and their protectors, vowing strict punishment for any officials found aiding or shielding such crimes.