Authorities busted a massive online fraud ring worth over 300 billion VND, arresting 59 suspects in Cambodia.

On October 29th, the Lai Chau Provincial Police announced that a special task force led by Colonel Pham Hai Dang, Deputy Director and Head of the Criminal Investigation Agency, had successfully dismantled a major criminal case in coordination with the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security's representative office in Cambodia, the Criminal Police Department of the Ministry of Public Security, and Cambodian authorities.online fraud and misappropriation of assets.On a large scale, transnational operation involving over 300 billion VND, 59 suspects were arrested in Cambodia.

After a long period of applying professional measures and gathering evidence, with the approval of the Ministry of Public Security leadership, on October 28, the Lai Chau Provincial Police, in coordination with the aforementioned units, successfully dismantled a criminal ring, arresting 59 individuals (44 men and 15 women), all Vietnamese nationals, while they were engaging in criminal activities in the Bokor Hill area, part of the Bokor Ecological Park complex in Tuek Chhou ward, Bokor city, Kampot province, Kingdom of Cambodia.

According to initial investigations, the ringleader of the transnational fraud ring is Sung Thi Mai (commonly known as Vi), born in 1999, residing in Mom Dao village, Bao Thang commune, Lao Cai province (formerly Thai Nien commune, Bao Thang district, Lao Cai province). Mai and other key accomplices, important figures in the criminal group, have been arrested along with evidence related to the case to aid in the investigation.

In June 2025, the Lai Chau Police cracked a case and arrested four individuals who were members of the aforementioned criminal organization. From there, the police uncovered a large-scale criminal network operating under the guise of impersonating delivery drivers, police officers, and soldiers, scamming over 8,000 victims nationwide through romantic relationships, with an estimated total amount stolen exceeding 300 billion VND.

After checking and classifying the suspects, Cambodian authorities handed over all 59 suspects, along with some evidence seized in the case, to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Lai Chau Provincial Police. To date, the police have arrested 66 suspects in connection with this case.

The successful dismantling of this criminal ring demonstrates the close cooperation between Vietnam and the Kingdom of Cambodia in general, and the police forces of the two countries in particular, in the context of the opening ceremony of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime (Hanoi Convention), hosted by Vietnam on October 25-26 in Hanoi. The Lai Chau Provincial Police was one of the units that achieved this success, affirming their unwavering determination to combat cybercrime and protect the peaceful lives of the people.

The Lai Chau Provincial Police are currently processing the procedures to receive the group of suspects through a border crossing in a province adjacent to Cambodia, after which they will be transferred to the Provincial Police headquarters for further investigation and expansion of the case.