Cambodia deports 61 telecom extortion scam suspects
Uk Heisela
Cambodia police on Saturday deported 61 Chinese nationals wanted in China on suspicion of extorting money over the internet and by phone   they said   but Taiwan said 19 were from Taiwan . Chinese nationals ( in orange vests ) who were arrested over a suspected internet scam   are escorted by Chinese police officers before they were deported at Phnom Penh International Airport   in Phnom Penh   Cambodia   October 12   2017 . REUTERS / Samrang Pring Several hundred suspected scammers have been arrested in Cambodia   which has emerged as a major center of rackets that have cost the victims billions of dollars . Pictures sent to Reuters on Saturday showed suspects wearing red shirts with their wrists bound together ahead of the deportation . Uk Heisela   chief of investigation at Cambodia ’ s immigration department   said Chinese police had arrived to pick up the suspects . Chinese nationals ( in orange vests ) who were arrested over a suspected internet scam   are escorted by Chinese police officers before they were deported at Phnom Penh International Airport   in Phnom Penh   Cambodia   October 12   2017 . REUTERS / Samrang Pring “ The Immigration Department deported 61 suspects   including 13 women   who were involved in extortions on the internet  ”  Uk Heisela  told Reuters .  Uk Heisela  said  they  had been detained during raids on Oct 17 and Oct 21 in the capital   Phnom Penh   and in Kandal and Preah Sihanouk provinces . Slideshow ( 3 Images ) Taiwan ’ s government said 19 of them were from Taiwan   and that it had lodged a strong protest with China about the deportations . Taiwan has been unhappy that Taiwanese extortion suspects have been deported to China in the past and has accused Phnom Penh of acting at the behest of Beijing . China considers self - ruled Taiwan sovereign territory and Cambodia is one of China ’ s closest allies in Southeast Asia .
Cambodia police on Saturday deported 61 Chinese nationals wanted in China on suspicion of extorting money over the internet and by phone   they said   but Taiwan said 19 were from Taiwan . Chinese nationals ( in orange vests ) who were arrested over a suspected internet scam   are escorted by Chinese police officers before they were deported at Phnom Penh International Airport   in Phnom Penh   Cambodia   October 12   2017 . REUTERS / Samrang Pring Several hundred suspected scammers have been arrested in Cambodia   which has emerged as a major center of rackets that have cost the victims billions of dollars . Pictures sent to Reuters on Saturday showed suspects wearing red shirts with their wrists bound together ahead of the deportation . [TGT]chief of investigation at Cambodia ’ s immigration department   said Chinese police had arrived to pick up the suspects . Chinese nationals ( in orange vests ) who were arrested over a suspected internet scam   are escorted by Chinese police officers before they were deported at Phnom Penh International Airport   in Phnom Penh   Cambodia   October 12   2017 . REUTERS / Samrang Pring “ The Immigration Department deported 61 suspects   including 13 women   who were involved in extortions on the internet  ”  [TGT]told Reuters .  [TGT]said  [TGT]  had been detained during raids on Oct 17 and Oct 21 in the capital   Phnom Penh   and in Kandal and Preah Sihanouk provinces . Slideshow ( 3 Images ) Taiwan ’ s government said 19 of them were from Taiwan   and that it had lodged a strong protest with China about the deportations . Taiwan has been unhappy that Taiwanese extortion suspects have been deported to China in the past and has accused Phnom Penh of acting at the behest of Beijing . China considers self - ruled Taiwan sovereign territory and Cambodia is one of China ’ s closest allies in Southeast Asia .