Aichi Police Arrest 29 Japanese Nationals, Aged 10-50s, Deported From Cambodia Over 1.4 Billion Yen Phone Scam Directed by Chinese Group

Japanese authorities have arrested 29 Japanese nationals who were deported from Cambodia on suspicion of involvement in large-scale phone scam operations. The individuals, aged between their teens and 50s, were detained at a scam base in northeastern Cambodia earlier this year and were extradited to Japan where they were arrested aboard the flight. The suspects allegedly operated under the direction of a Chinese management group, impersonating police officers and other officials to defraud victims primarily in the Kanto region. The scam activities reportedly resulted in approximately 1.4 billion yen in illicit gains over several months. The suspects, referred to as "kakeko," or callers, were recruited through social media and worked under strict controls, including living in restricted quarters with armed guards and conducting daily review meetings to improve scam success rates. The Aichi Prefectural Police dispatched 80 officers to Cambodia to facilitate the investigation and extradition. The case is considered the largest of its kind involving Japanese nationals in Cambodia, with concerns about the involvement of local power figures complicating efforts to dismantle the scam network. Separately, there have been related reports of police officers in Japan being arrested for attempted extortion and fraudulent billing practices, underscoring broader issues of fraud and corruption.