Overview
- Sixty-four South Koreans were flown home Oct. 18 from Cambodia and arrested on board the chartered flight under Korean jurisdiction before being handed to police.
- Police moved to detain 59 of the returnees, prosecutors advanced 58 arrest requests, one suspect was already in custody on a prior warrant, and five people were released.
- Authorities say the cases involve voice phishing, romance scams and “no-show” schemes, and initial drug screens of the returnees produced negative results.
- Investigators are verifying statements that some returnees were forcibly held and beaten in Cambodian compounds as they assess potential victim‑perpetrator overlap.
- Cambodia has since arrested about 10 more South Koreans and rescued two for repatriation this week, while Seoul enforces a code‑black travel ban, pursues asset‑tracing tied to networks such as the Prince Group and related bank transactions, and discusses a Korean Desk and early‑warning measures with Phnom Penh.