Cambodia arrests 175 Chinese for phone scam

PHNOM PENH -- Officials say they have arrested 175 Chinese citizens operating an internet phone scam in the border gambling town of Poipet after a tipoff from Chinese police.

The Interior Ministry's immigration investigation chief, Gen Ouk Haiseila, said on Friday the suspects were arrested in the western town of Poipet on the Thai border.

The arrests, made Wednesday, are the latest in a regional crackdown on Chinese gangs that use phone calls made over the internet to extort or trick people into transferring money to them.

There have been similar cases in the past few weeks in Thailand and Indonesia. Most of the targets appear to be fellow Chinese, and suspects are generally deported to China.