The government has expressed its “grave concern” about Cambodia sending 13 Taiwanese to China on suspicion of involvement in an worldwide telecom fraud ring, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday.
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The suspects – 50 from the Chinese mainland and 13 from Taiwan – are suspected of falsely presenting themselves as law enforcement officials over the telephone to extort money from people on the Chinese mainland.
Cambodia, one of China’s closest allies, does not have official relations with self-ruled Taiwan.
The Ministry of Public Security has started cooperation with Kenya, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, and Indonesia to capture 1,168 suspects, of which 347 were Taiwanese residents, reported The Paper.
Taiwanese businessmen based in Cambodia told CNA that they had tried to offer assistance to the Taiwanese suspects, but Cambodia would not allow them to visit.
Chinese police have brought 63 telecom fraud suspects back from Cambodia on Tuesday, in their continuing crackdown on such crimes. Cambodia regards Taiwan to be part of China.
The Chinese public security ministry said the suspects were being brought back to help with investigations and because the victims of the gang-related fraud scheme were from the mainland.
The latest group of 63 suspects was arrested late last month in a rented house in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital.
“All victims are in China”, he said.
The Taiwanese government’s Mainland Affairs Council issued a press release Tuesday night protesting the deportation, reported Taiwan’s Central News Agency.
The businesspeople, while saying that involvement in such fraud cases taints Taiwan’s worldwide image, said they simply wanted to offer some help to fellow Taiwanese.
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Taipei has accused Beijing of kidnapping when such countries have deported Taiwanese people to China.
