"You Dare to Escape"... Police Rescue Citizen Held by Chinese Gang

Victims Deceived by "Job Offers" Rescued Within 9 Hours
Woman Abducted While Meeting Chinese Man Also Saved

The police swiftly rescued Korean nationals who were confined in a hotel in Cambodia.

The International Crime Cooperation Bureau of the National Police Agency announced on May 17, 2026 that, in response to recent consecutive cases of confinement in Cambodia, they rescued two victims through international cooperation involving the Korea Task Force, overseas diplomatic missions, the National Intelligence Service, and local police. All suspects, including three Chinese nationals who committed the crime along with local police, were apprehended.

The International Public Security Cooperation Bureau of the National Police Agency announced on the 17th that it rescued two victims through international cooperation involving the Korea Task Force, overseas diplomatic missions, the National Intelligence Service, and local police in Cambodia, following a series of detainment incidents that recently occurred there. Message details sent to the victims by the Chinese criminal gang. National Police Agency

The report was received on May 7. The Korean Embassy in Cambodia received a report that a Korean national was being confined in a hotel in the Sihanoukville area of Cambodia. The victim, who had received a job offer, traveled to Cambodia via Vietnam and, while being held captive, sent a message to the embassy stating that they had been demanded USD 20,000.

Immediately after receiving the report, the National Police Agency activated a real-time cooperation system and, under the coordination of INTERPOL, took overall charge of the on-site response. While identifying the extent of harm to the rescue targets and their location information, the agency, together with local Cambodian police, proceeded to the scene, checked CCTV footage, and conducted surrounding inquiries as part of the rescue operation.

During the apprehension operation, the authorities identified a situation where three Chinese suspects were attempting to flee the hotel with the rescue target. Within approximately nine hours of receiving the report, not only were the victims rescued, but all suspects were apprehended.

The police determined that the victims had left the country after responding to a "special recruitment notice for people with disabilities and the socially vulnerable" posted on social media, and are conducting a follow-up investigation into the brokers and others who created or distributed the announcement.

On May 10, three days later, an additional report was received stating that a Korean woman was being confined in Phnom Penh. After traveling to Cambodia to meet a Chinese man she had met online, she was held captive. The victim requested rescue, stating she was threatened with "You will not be released unless you pay money."

The police, in cooperation with international partners, worked to confirm the victim's location, and the Korea Task Force successfully identified her exact whereabouts. Through a joint operation with local police, she was rescued within one day of the report.

Park Junseong, Acting Director of the International Crime Cooperation Bureau of the National Police Agency, stated, "This case demonstrates that the cooperation system between the Korea Task Force and local police is making a tangible contribution to ensuring the safety of our citizens," and urged, "As cases of abduction and confinement under the guise of job offers continue to occur in Southeast Asian countries, everyone should remain vigilant."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.