The compound is modern with air conditioning in every room. Inside are a medical clinic, massage parlour, and Vietnamese barbecue, Chinese hotpot and halal eateries – a full range of conveniences.
Yet the residents are gone – and they appear to have fled in haste. Clothes still hang out to dry, while the stench of rotting food lingers.
Located in a secluded area in Kampot province near Cambodia’s border with Vietnam, the site is believed to be a telecoms scam centre.
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Cambodian authorities said about 6,000 to 7,000 people had been housed across 31 multi-storey buildings in the compound until January 17, when its alleged boss, former tycoon Ly Kuong, was detained. Thousands fled that day.
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But it also highlights the scale of such operations across Southeast Asia – and points to a rare opportunity for Beijing and Washington to collaborate on dismantling the transnational crime networks that sustain them.
