Cambodia agrees to repatriate 54 Pakistanis held after scam centre raid

The Foreign Office confirmed on Tuesday that Cambodia has agreed to the early repatriation of 54 Pakistani nationals who were detained following a law enforcement raid on a scam centre operating in the Southeast Asian country.

FO spokesperson stated that Pakistani diplomatic channels have been actively engaged with Cambodian authorities since the arrests to secure the release and return of the detainees. The agreement marks a positive development in what had been a consular concern for Islamabad following reports of Pakistani citizens being lured into fraudulent employment schemes abroad.

The detained individuals were among those found at a facility believed to be running cyber fraud and financial scam operations, a pattern increasingly associated with organised criminal networks that recruit workers from South Asian countries under false pretexts. Pakistani authorities have previously flagged such networks as a growing concern for citizens seeking overseas employment.

The Foreign Office did not specify an exact date for the repatriation but indicated the process would be expedited. The development comes amid broader government efforts to protect Pakistani workers abroad from exploitation and trafficking-linked schemes.