Indonesian Official Apologizes to Cambodia Over Online Scams by Some Indonesian Nationals

Cambodia's Ministry of Interior said on October 28 that Anggiat Napitupulu, an advisor to Indonesia's Minister of Immigration and Corrections, apologized to Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sar Sokha during a meeting in Phnom Penh the previous day for the difficulties caused to Cambodia by illegal activities involving telecom and online scams carried out by some Indonesian nationals in Cambodia. Anggiat thanked Cambodia for assisting in the investigation, arrest and repatriation of involved Indonesian nationals, as well as caring for and settling those housed at repatriation centers. He said the work was not easy. Cambodia's Ministry of Interior said it was relatively rare for a foreign official to apologize to Cambodia over crimes committed in the country by nationals of the official's own country. Sar Sokha said that those engaged in telecom and online scams and other illegal activities in Cambodia came from multiple countries, including Cambodian citizens. The Cambodian government will continue to crack down on these crimes and work jointly to address them through bilateral and multilateral cooperation. He also commended the results of law-enforcement cooperation between the two countries and supported the continued holding of bilateral meetings in Indonesia next year to strengthen coordination between police and immigration departments. Cambodia recently seized 726 people in two operations in Poipet city, including 648 Indonesians. Official data show that from July 2025 through the end of September 2026, Cambodian authorities took action against 910 scam-related premises, prosecuted and detained 5,778 people involved in the cases, and repatriated 22,892 foreign nationals from 40 countries.