South Korea has repatriated 64 nationals from Cambodia, marking the largest-ever mass return of criminal suspects from a single foreign country. All were immediately arrested upon arrival and taken to police stations across the country for questioning.
The chartered Korean Air flight KE9690 landed at Incheon International Airport around 8:35 a.m. Saturday, after departing from Cambodia’s newly built Techo International Airport near Phnom Penh.
Officials confirmed that arrest warrants were executed mid-flight, as the aircraft a national carrier is considered South Korean territory under law.
Dual Status: Victims and Perpetrators
The 64 individuals, some of whom had been detained for months in Cambodia’s notorious online scam compounds, are accused of participating in voice phishing, romance scams, and financial fraud operations targeting Korean citizens.
Authorities described their status as “both victims and perpetrators” many were lured to Cambodia with promises of legitimate IT jobs, only to be coerced into cybercrime syndicates run by Chinese-backed networks.
“They were trapped in what they thought were call centers but turned out to be scam factories,” one investigator said. “Even so, their participation in fraud targeting Koreans cannot be ignored.”
Mass Arrest Operation: A Record for Korea
The operation involved 190 escorting police officers, doctors, and nurses aboard the same charter flight nearly three officers per suspect, an unprecedented ratio for international transfers.
Upon landing, 23 transport vehicles were lined up on the tarmac at Incheon Airport, each assigned to a different jurisdiction.
Those repatriated are being distributed across regional police agencies including:
- Chungnam Police Agency (45 suspects)
- Gyeonggi Northern Agency (15)
- Daejeon Police (1)
- Seodaemun Police, Seoul (1)
- Gimpo Police (1)
- Wonju Police, Gangwon (1)
The mass operation was coordinated by the Korean National Police Agency’s Investigation Planning Division, which deployed over 215 officers for ground security and processing.
Link to Cambodia’s Crime Compounds
The suspects were apprehended earlier this year in raids on scam compounds, including the infamous “Taiza Compound” near Phnom Penh — a walled enclave long suspected of human trafficking and forced labor under the control of Chinese-run groups such as Prince Group.
Of the 64 returnees, 59 were captured by Cambodian authorities during nationwide crackdowns, while five others voluntarily reported themselves and requested rescue assistance through the Korean Embassy.
Most were already subject to arrest warrants or Interpol Red Notices issued by South Korean prosecutors.
This marks South Korea’s third mass repatriation operation via charter flight, and the largest-ever from a single country.
Medical staff accompanied the suspects due to health and security concerns. Officials said the decision to use a dedicated aircraft ensured “safety, speed, and full jurisdictional control.”
“We will continue to work closely with Cambodian authorities to dismantle transnational crime networks exploiting Korean nationals,” a police spokesperson stated.
Background: Cambodia’s Expanding Scam Industry
The repatriation follows months of international scrutiny over Cambodia’s China-linked online fraud industry, where thousands of foreign nationals including South Koreans have been trafficked or detained.
Compounds like Taiza, heavily fortified with barbed wire and CCTV surveillance, were found to house victims forced to scam others online under threat of violence, torture, and starvation.
The South Korean government has ramped up cooperation with ASEAN nations to rescue its citizens and tighten oversight of overseas job recruitment, amid fears that hundreds more Koreans remain stranded in similar facilities across Southeast Asia.
Sources: Yonhap News,Nate News,CBS NoCut,Ministry of Justice (ROK)
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