25.10.18.Today News : 64 Koreans Detained in Cambodia Repatriated to Korea via Charter Flight

64 Koreans Detained in Cambodia Repatriated to Korea via Charter Flight

📍‘Wench’ Crime Complex Crackdown Leads to Mass Repatriation of Fraud and Romance Scam Suspects

Sixty-four South Koreans detained by Cambodian immigration authorities after being caught in a large-scale crackdown on crime complexes were repatriated to Korea on the morning of the 18th via a chartered flight. This marks the largest-ever single-country repatriation operation, as Seoul and Phnom Penh pledged closer cooperation to prevent similar cases.

Koreans detained for involvement in Cambodian online scams are being repatriated via Incheon International Airport Terminal 2. Approximately 190 police escorts were deployed for the repatriation that day.

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🔹 Charter Flight Arrives at Incheon Airport
At 8:35 a.m. on October 18, a Korean Air charter flight (KE9690) from Phnom Penh’s Techo International Airport landed at Incheon International Airport, carrying 64 South Koreans who had been detained in Cambodia. They were accused of participating in voice phishing and romance scams within a crime hub known as “Wench.”

🔹 Arrested on Board, Transferred Upon Arrival
Because a Korean-registered aircraft is legally considered Korean territory, the suspects were formally arrested onboard. Upon arrival, all 64 were immediately transferred to respective police jurisdictions. Over 190 police officers were dispatched on the flight, exceeding the standard two-to-one ratio per suspect. Police stated that all procedures were “conducted strictly within legal bounds.”

🔹 Suspects Assigned to Regional Police Agencies
The repatriated suspects will be investigated by multiple regional offices: 45 to Chungnam, 15 to Gyeonggi North, and others to Daejeon, Seoul Seodaemun, Gimpo, and Wonju. At Incheon Airport, 23 police vans labeled by region awaited the suspects from early dawn under tight security.

🔹 “Wench” Crime Complex: Hub of Cross-Border Fraud
The so-called “Wench” complexes in Cambodia have long been hubs for transnational crime, luring foreign nationals with promises of high-paying jobs before trapping them in forced labor or fraud operations. Cambodian authorities confirmed that some of the Koreans were simultaneously victims and accomplices.

🔹Korean Task Force Engages Cambodian Government
In response to the growing crisis, a joint task force—comprising the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Police Agency, and Justice Ministry—was dispatched to Cambodia. At a press briefing, Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jin-ah announced that Korea and Cambodia had agreed to form a joint task force (TF) for rapid information sharing and coordinated investigation.

🔹 Sharp Rise in Korean Victims in Cambodia
Reports of kidnapping and confinement involving Koreans in Cambodia surged from one case in 2022 to 17 in 2023, and to 330 by August 2024. Korean authorities described the situation as “a severe spread of organized cross-border crime” and vowed continuous monitoring and joint crackdowns with Cambodian agencies.

🔹 Largest Charter Repatriation Operation
This marks the third instance of a mass criminal repatriation via charter flight and the largest in scale from a single country. Medical staff were onboard to handle emergencies. Officials stated that similar operations will continue as part of Korea’s ongoing effort to dismantle overseas criminal networks.

One-line summary : Sixty-four Koreans detained in Cambodian crime complexes were repatriated to Korea, as both governments strengthen cooperation to prevent future cross-border crimes.