Cambodian immigration officers escorted 164 Chinese nationals—including one woman—onto a charter flight back to China yesterday at Techo International Airport. According to officials, the group was rounded up during recent law enforcement sweeps for a range of violations, from illegal entry and working without proper permits to drug offenses and online scam operations.
The group was flown out directly on a chartered flight once deportation paperwork was finalized. Police had been carrying out targeted raids across various hotspots, catching those mixed up in gray-market work without legitimate jobs. In the past, some thought they could lay low in rented rooms or quiet back alleys until the heat died down, but authorities are sending a clear message: once you're caught, you're put straight on a flight home.
Small business owners on the street have seen the shift firsthand. It used to be that late at night, street food stalls were buzzing with roaring motorbikes and crowds coming straight off night shifts at the compounds, spending lavishly. On the surface it looked like big money, but locals knew it was all built on hot air. With the sustained push against online fraud and drugs, clearing out these gray networks has finally brought a bit of quiet and calm back to the neighborhoods.
