TOKYO (Reuters) -Cambodian authorities have said they detained some Japanese nationals in a joint effort to crack down on fraud centres in Cambodia, a Japanese government spokesperson said on Thursday.
Criminal gangs have trafficked hundreds of thousands of people to scam centres in parts of Southeast Asia to help generate billions of dollars in illicit revenues each year, the United Nations says.
Japan is looking into the numbers and whereabouts of those detained, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a regular press conference.
“We are in the process of confirming details such as exactly how many people were detained, and where and how they were detained,” Hayashi said.
“We’ll respond appropriately while continuing working with local authorities.”
On Wednesday, citing people affiliated with the Cambodian government, the Kyodo news agency said about 30 people believed to be Japanese suspected of involvement in fraud were taken to Phnom Penh the day before following detention in the northwestern city of Poipet.
Scammers often reach out to victims on social media and messaging applications to build online relationships before luring them into making fraudulent investments.
(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Clarence Fernandez)
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