Cambodia shows journalists a former scam compound built for 20,000 workers

Cambodia's government opened a fortified former scam compound in Prey Veng province to journalists from 39 media organizations yesterday, ahead of an anti-scam conference this week.

The site, known as No. 8 Park, spans 120 hectares and could house around 20,000 people. Authorities say they raided it in February based on information from China's Ministry of Public Security, the FBI, and people who had escaped. Journalists were shown rooms designed to resemble foreign law enforcement offices, including one dressed up as a Singapore Police Force unit, used by scammers posing as investigators.

The compound was run by Legend Innovation, linked to Prince Group — a conglomerate sanctioned by the U.S. and U.K. last October for forced labor and fraud. Prince Group's chairman, Chen Zhi, advised both former Prime Minister Hun Sen and current Prime Minister Hun Manet. Cambodia extradited Chen to China in January after intensifying U.S. and Chinese pressure.

Last week, two U.S. congressmen called for investigations into 28 individuals and entities tied to scam operations, naming Interior Minister Sar Sokha, Deputy Prime Minister Neth Savoeun, and Hun To, a cousin of the prime minister, who owns a stake in a payments platform the U.S. sanctioned for money laundering.