Twenty-one Nepali citizens who were lured by organized groups and taken to Cambodia to engage in illegal online scam activities have been safely repatriated to Nepal. The operation was carried out through the coordinated efforts of the Nepali Embassy in Bangkok and the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) in Cambodia.
According to the Embassy in Bangkok, the individuals had been deceived by various agents and transported to Cambodia, where they were forced to work in illegally operated “online scamming centers” and casinos, often without valid visas. With the cooperation of the Cambodian government, these Nepalis were rescued and flown back to Nepal on Friday.
The Embassy confirmed that efforts are ongoing to rescue other stranded Nepalis in Cambodia. It noted that many Nepalis have been employed illegally, and some had their passports confiscated by the companies or individuals exploiting them. The Embassy provided them with free travel permits and urged all victims to avail themselves of such support.
Tourism data from Cambodia indicates a sharp rise in Nepali visitors over recent years: 101 in 2021, 1,977 in 2022, 2,940 in 2023, 6,404 in 2024, and 9,676 in 2025.
The Nepali Embassy emphasized that Nepalis should only travel abroad for employment through government-approved labor permits. It warned against falling for promises of quick or high earnings, particularly in countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand, where individuals are often lured under the pretext of tourism or job opportunities and later stranded.
Earlier, in mid-January, the Cambodian National Police raided a casino complex in the city of Bavet, targeting online scamming operations. The sweep, conducted in coordination with the Provincial Public Prosecutor of Svay Rieng, uncovered 22 buildings allegedly running online scams. Over 2,000 foreign nationals were apprehended, including Nepalis, of whom 30 were reportedly present at the site. Among them, 21 have now been repatriated to Nepal through official channels.
