Location: Street 310, Sangkat Boueng Keng Kang, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
What Do We Know about Unnamed Condominium, Street 310, Phnom Penh?
On 7 October 2022, Cambodian immigration police raided a condo building in the heart of Phnom Penh shortly after noon. An immigration official told Cambodia-China Times that the raid was conducted due to suspicions that there was illegal detention happening at the location. A report by 58cam stated that it appeared that Chinese police were involved in the operation.
The Cambodia-China Times reported on a preliminary police report stating that at least 267 foreigners were detained by the police. This included 210 mainland Chinese, 47 Taiwanese, eight Malaysians, two Burmese, and one Thai. This initial report stated that 210 of the people detained did not hold passports. According to an anonymous police source, the raid followed a complaint from a 38-year-old Chinese man sent to the Facebook page of Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Kheng. The man claimed that he was being detained by an ‘illegal online gambling company’. Photos from the scene show clear signs that this was an online scam operation. An immigration spokesperson later told Voice of Democracy (VOD) that four complaints were received from people working at the building. He provided updated figures, stating that 274 people were removed from the building, 66 of whom were undocumented. According to the spokesperson, those with papers were in any case involved in illegal work, although he did not specify what type of work.
Less than a week later, a convoy of city buses was sent to the location and took people from the condominium directly to the airport. VOD reporting found that this was the third batch of residents who were removed from the location, and police officers were overheard saying that they would be taken to the airport and onto a flight to China. Armed police escorted the convoy, and as many as 80 people were seen arriving at the Phnom Penh airport departure terminal. This was an unusual move, and in other cases where people have been removed from online compounds and found to be lacking documentation, they have been sent to immigration detention for processing, where many have languished for months. It is unclear why this group was processed and removed from the country so quickly.
On 16 October, a WeChat account published footage it had obtained from inside the building. Although not named in the article, buildings across the street that can be seen in the video match those across the street from the condo on Street 310. The WeChat article stated that the footage was from the previous day, but it is not clear if this showed additional police action after the initial raid, or if it is in fact footage of the raid the week prior. In the video, workers can be seen with their hands in the air gathered in front of the building inside the condo grounds. Although there are no signs of resistance in the short video clip, a uniformed police officer holds a pistol at eye-level and points directly at people as he shouts instructions. Others hold batons in the air as people are led upstairs with their hands up.
Stills from video showing police operation inside the condo building, published 16 October Source: 阿龙 云鹤九天故事汇.
Which Actors and Companies Have Been Linked to Unnamed Condominium, Street 310, Phnom Penh?
Media reports did not name the condominium building, and there are no signs displayed outside, so it is unclear who owns the property or which companies were operating there.
Location of Unnamed Condominium, Street 310, Phnom Penh
Links to Other Compounds, Companies, and Individuals
None known.
Unnamed Condominium, Street 310, Phnom Penh, in the News
2022
16 October: ‘昨日金边某诈骗园区被包围？[Was a Fraud Park in Phnom Penh Surrounded Yesterday?]’ 云鹤九天故事汇. Link.
WeChat article shares video from inside police raid of condominium building on Street 310.
14 October: Mech, Dara. ‘Four Workers Called Out for Help from Phnom Penh Condo before Raid.’ Voice of Democracy. Link.
Immigration department confirms details of raid on Phnom Penh condo, with 274 people detained, 66 without passports. Those with passports were involved in illegal activity and all set to be deported.
13 October: Mech, Dara and Mark Dickison. ‘Police Raid Delivers Dozens of Foreign Nationals Straight to Airport.’ Voice of Democracy. Link.
Immigration police escort three city buses carrying workers from the raided condominium to the airport for apparent deportation.
13 October: ‘数十名中国人被从涉网赌大楼送往机场 直接遣返回国 [Dozens of Chinese Sent from Online Gambling Compound to the Airport and Repatriated Directly to China].’ 热风网 [Hot Wind Net]. Link.
Dozens of people from raided condominium transported to immigration building at Phnom Penh airport and then to departure terminal.
9 October: ‘金边一网赌窝点被捣毁，数百人被抓多数为中国人 [An Online Gambling Den in Phnom Penh Was Destroyed, Hundreds of People Were Arrested, Most of Them Chinese].’ 柬单网 [58cam]. Link.
Cambodian immigration police raid condo in Boung Keng Kang district, detaining nearly 300 suspects. Report indicates that Chinese police were involved.
8 October: ‘柬埔寨警方突查金边一网赌窝点 包括中国人在内267人被扣 [Cambodian Police Raid an Online Gambling Den in Phnom Penh and Detain 267 People, Including Chinese.]’ 柬中时报 [Cambodia-China Times]. Link.
Preliminary police report states at least 267 foreigners detained by immigration police in raid of condo building on Street 310. This included 210 mainland Chinese, 47 Taiwanese, eight Malaysians, two Burmese and one Thai. 210 of the people detained did not hold passports.
8 October: ‘突发！移民总局突查金边一公寓 疑似网赌窝点 [Breaking! General Department of Immigration Raids a Suspected Online Gambling Den in an Apartment in Phnom Penh.]’ 柬中时报 [Cambodia-China Times]. Link.
News breaks of raid on condo on Street 310 due to suspicions of illegal detention.
