Cambodian journalist Mech Dara, who received an award for his work investigating human trafficking in the online scam industry, has been arrested by military police. Authorities have not disclosed the reason for the arrest, but observers believe it to be politically motivated.
Mech Dara received a Trafficking in Persons Report Hero Award for "exceptional efforts to end human trafficking " from the US government last year. Cambodia n journalist Mech Dara, who has been awarded for his work investigating human trafficking in the online scam industry, has been arrested by the country's military police.
Spokesperson for rights group Licadho Am Sam Ath said the group received an SMS message from Dara on Monday saying he was being arrested by military police. alleged Cambodian government "corruption and official complicity" in human trafficking for the online scam industry. "Though this is a common story in Cambodia, it is particularly tragic in this case because of the significant extent to which Dara's work serves the global public interest."Dara's family confirmed their car was stopped at a toll booth in Koh Kong province at the entrance to the expressway to Phnom Penh when police arrived in a military vehicle and five other cars.While they remained in the car, Dara's phone was taken, they said.
Trafficking victims are tricked into signing up for what they believe are legitimate jobs in Cambodia, only to then be locked in compounds and forced to scam people around the world.In a scam known as "pig butchering", scam operators slowly build up a relationship of trust with their targets, often involving romance, before convincing them to hand over large amounts of money for fake investments.
Cambodia Journalist Arrest Human Trafficking Online Scams
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