"Organ Trafficking, One Death a Day, Bodies Incinerated": Horrific Testimonies from Cambodia's Wench Crime Complexes

The Reality of Cambodia's "Wench" Crime Complexes
Koreans Forced into Money Laundering and Scam Operations
Relocating to Neighboring Countries to Evade Crackdowns

Testimonies have emerged stating that in so-called "Wench" crime complexes in Cambodia, incidents of torture and assault result in approximately one death per day.

Inside view of a crime complex in Cambodia. A man's hand is presumed to be tied to a metal bed. Photo by Yonhap News, provided by a reader

On October 14, Yonhap News Agency reported, based on interviews with individuals who have worked in Cambodian crime complexes or their acquaintances, that severe abuses such as pulling out fingernails or cutting off fingers are taking place within these complexes. Human trafficking, where people are sold to other complexes for money, is also said to occur frequently.

According to the report, the size of each crime complex varies, and inside, a range of crimes are committed, including romance scams, unlisted stock schemes, overseas futures fraud, and impersonation of public officials for voice phishing. One source stated that there are likely around 400 crime complexes in Cambodia.

Another witness, referred to as Mr. A, explained, "There are two main reasons why Koreans are needed: either to launder the profits of the crime complex or to assign Koreans to telemarketing, chatting, and customer service roles for scams targeting Koreans."

In particular, unlike Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, border areas such as Poipet and Bavet are considered the most dangerous regions within Cambodia. Mr. B, a resident of Cambodia, said, "If you don't perform well in Phnom Penh or Sihanoukville or if you incur debts at a casino, you get sold to border areas like Poipet or Bavet. There are many people in this situation."

Inside view of the Cambodian Immigration Detention Facility. Photo by Yonhap News, provided by a reader

Regarding the Bokosan area, where college student Park, who died in August after traveling to Cambodia, had stayed, it was explained, "It's usually a place where people go to sell their bank accounts, and then they end up being locked up and forced into illegal activities, sometimes even losing their lives."

There have also been testimonies that deaths from assaults in these crime complexes are not uncommon, and that some managers even take pride in such incidents. Mr. B stated, "It's not rare for someone to die from being beaten. About one person dies every day. That's what Cambodia is like. And it's not just Koreans who are targeted-victims come from Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, and many other countries."

He further explained, "Victims are repeatedly beaten, and sometimes die as their health deteriorates. If someone doesn't meet their performance targets, they are beaten. Some come to sell their bank accounts, and if the account gets frozen, all their fingers may be cut off."

There have also been accounts that when a victim dies from assault, the body is disposed of in an incinerator. Mr. A said, "There are many cases where bodies need to be disposed of. It's not just one or two people who die over money. If someone doesn't produce results or cannot be used for organ trafficking, they are simply sent to the incinerator."

However, another witness who worked in a crime complex stated, "It's just garbage that's being burned. Those stories are exaggerated rumors." Mr. B also said, "I've never heard of people being burned in incinerators."

There have also been testimonies that those who fail to produce "results" in crimes such as voice phishing, or who fall into debt, are forced to undergo organ removal.

Recently, as increased attention has focused on major crime complexes in Cambodia, there has been a trend of these complexes relocating to neighboring countries such as Thailand, Laos, and Malaysia. Complexes near Phnom Penh, such as Mango Complex and Prince Complex, have scaled back their activities in response to intensified government crackdowns. However, it is reported that new complexes in outlying border areas continue to recruit people and expand their criminal networks.