An estimated 400 criminal hubs operating across Cambodia are reportedly engaging in widespread human trafficking, brutal torture, and daily killings of victims, with allegations of forced organ harvesting, according to a report by South Korean news agency Yonhap.
One victim dies from abuse each day on average, a Korean national residing in Cambodia identified as Mr. B stated. Victims are subjected to brutal torture methods including nail pulling and finger cutting. In some cases, all fingers are amputated if a bank account sold by the victim becomes frozen.
These syndicates target individuals from various nations, including South Koreans, Vietnamese, Indonesians, Malaysians, and Chinese. The criminal operations encompass a range of scams, such as romance scams, unregistered stock sales, overseas futures investment fraud, and call centers impersonating government officials.
An individual identified as Mr. A, with connections to these groups, explained that Korean nationals are often sought by these gangs for money laundering activities or to work in telemarketing, chat services, and customer support for scams targeting South Koreans.
Mr. C, a former detainee, recounted seeing photographs of torture and dead bodies in Telegram group chats managed by his captors. He said the supervisors would proudly display these images and use them to issue threats, warning, “If you don’t obey, you’ll end up like this.”
The border areas of Poipet and Bavet are considered the most dangerous, Mr. A warned, often serving as the final destination for victims. Those who fail to meet performance targets or accrue debt in casinos in cities like Phnom Penh or Sihanoukville are frequently sold to these harsher border regions.
There are alarming claims that victims unable to achieve their “performance” targets may be coerced into selling their organs. Mr. A suggested that heavily indebted individuals with no output have no alternative but to sell organs, with eyes often targeted first due to corneas being easier to transplant and highly valuable.
However, Mr. B offered a conflicting view, suggesting that organ trafficking might no longer occur within Cambodia itself. He noted the past presence of numerous Chinese hospitals in Sihanoukville used for organ removal. Mr. B now believes victims are forced to work until they are no longer useful, then potentially transferred to Myanmar, where organ harvesting is thought to be taking place.
Disputed reports also suggest that bodies of victims who die from abuse are cremated in on-site facilities. Counterarguments propose these crematories may only be used for waste disposal. A student was reported to have died in August in Khao Boko, an area described as a place where people are sent to sell bank accounts, are held captive, forced into illegal work, or meet their end.