Earlier this morning, officials from the Ministry of Information joined Prey Veng provincial authorities to lead journalists from 39 local and international media outlets down to the Meun Chey international border checkpoint. Their destination was "Park 8"—a former online scam compound that used to sit behind towering walls, the kind of place local commuters gave a wide berth. Today, the gates were thrown open, giving reporters a rare look inside.
The crackdown on Park 8 began in early February this year when police launched a major raid, thoroughly dismantling the operation by mid-month. The final shutdown came on April 3, when an investigating judge arrived with a search warrant and placed the entire complex under official court seal.
People living along the border still remember what it was like when the compound was up and running. The site had spurred a small strip of local eateries and rental rooms, where the night air was thick with smoke from street BBQs and motorbike exhaust. Now, the empty buildings stand deserted at the border's edge. By bringing the press inside today, officials wanted the public to see firsthand how the notorious fraud hub was raided, shut down, and locked away.
