PM Orders Crackdown on Illegal Gambling & Related Crimes, Pushing Local Authorities to Take Prompt Action

• 19 September 2022
• Local News
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Prime Minister Hun Sen has ordered a crackdown on illegal gambling and related crimes in a timely manner, emphasizing that Cambodia does not allow “anarchy” to occur on its soil.

According to a voice message on 17 September, the PM strongly ordered the provincial and regional authorities to take responsibility, warning them he would remove the, from their positions if found to be negligent or incompetent

“I would like to issue a very strict order to take repressive measures in a timely and thorough manner. I do not hesitate to remove any provincial or capital governor, district governor, district governor, or any level of police officerស who is found not to be responsible for his or her duties,” said PM Hun Sen.

The PM added that he will not be able to allow anarchy in casinos anymore as it does not support economic growth, but instead causes so much trouble and crime.

He also ordered the closure of any small businesses, such as cafes and restaurants, that allow gambling on their premises.

Minister of Interior Sar Kheng will also hold a meeting with working groups from the provinces to discuss a blueprint for operations, with Sok Phal, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Interior, having been assigned the task of overseeing the crackdown on illegal gambling in Cambodia.

The order comes amid a dramatic rise in reported cases of human trafficking and kidnappings linked to the rampant casino industry in the Southeast Asian country, with 56 Vietnamese workers fleeing a casino in Bavet in September.

A similar instance in which around 40 detained workers fled across the Cambodia-Vietnam border made headlines only weeks earlier.

In a separate incident, authorities in Sihanoukville detained around 400 foreign workers from a business called Boeng Chheng International Entertainment Co., Ltd, located in Sihanoukville, on Saturday for allegedly running illegal online gaming operations.

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