"166 cases of human trafficking probed last year", 27 March 2023

According to the annual report on the outcome of their work, NCCT said that the crackdown was jointly conducted by the National Police and National Military police.

The figure represents a 55.76% decrease from 2021, when 359 cases were reported.

Chou Bun Eng, NCCT Permanent Vice-Chairwoman, said for human trafficking cases, 36 were dealt with by the authorities, compared to 199 in 2021 and 53 people including 23 foreigners were arrested, comprising 15 Chinese, six Vietnamese, one Thai and one Bangladeshi.

“We have rescued 133 victims including 20 minors,” she said. “Thirty-two  were sent to rehabilitation centres, while the remainder were reunited with their families.

Bun Eng added that for illegal sex trafficking, there were 130 cases, up by six from 2021.

The police apprehended 149 suspects and rescued 225 victims, of whom 208 were female.

The rise in human trafficking cases related to job scams is the likely source for Cambodia’s demotion in the US Embassy’s 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report.

The report downgraded Cambodia by dropping it from Tier 2 to Tier 3, placing the Kingdom at risk of sanctions issued by the United States, for failure to fulfill minimum standards on eradicating human trafficking and for not making progress on its anti-trafficking capacity.

In a ministerial conference on Thursday, Interior Minister Sar Kheng said human trafficking remains a big concern in Cambodia and again called on all stakeholders to join hands to fight the crime.

All of the leaders and officials are committed to the fight against human trafficking so that crimes will be eliminated, Kheng said.

The government has a clear policy and is committed to fighting human trafficking, which requires all stakeholders to address the issue.

The crackdowns of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, especially in Sihanoukville, has been successful. However, the criminal activity has moved to other provinces, especially near the borders, he added.