Eighty-six Vietnamese nationals, including 28 women, were deported back home yesterday through the Trapeang Phlong international border checkpoint in Tboung Khmum province after being flagged by immigration authorities.
The group had run afoul of the law in various ways, ranging from illegal entry and overstaying to work without permits, drug offenses, and direct involvement in cross-border telecom scams.
Local media reported that the operation followed strict directives from higher-ups, signaling a zero-tolerance policy toward foreign criminals trying to use the area as a safe haven. Locals down at the roadside tea stalls have grown weary of the constant stream of arrests for scams and immigration violations, often wondering over their morning brew when authorities will finally wipe out these shady dens for good.
With law enforcement keeping a tight grip on these illicit activities lately, anyone caught involved in syndicated crime is facing a direct one-way ticket out. Early yesterday morning, the border crossing was a hive of activity as officials handed the group over. Amid the dust and motorbike exhaust, the deportees were escorted across the border, ending their run in the country with a quiet, unceremonious trip back home.
