Tboung Khmum uncovered as scam-gang stronghold hidden from media scrutiny

A representative from the Immanuel Foundation (IMF) Centre, identified as Bird, told reporters on Tuesday after escorting Thai victims of Cambodian scam gangs to give statements to police that the group had provided comprehensive intelligence, including evidence and leads.

He said Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej, Assistant National Police Chief, had assured them that authorities would take all possible action. The five victims he brought were previously detained in Tboung Khmum, around four kilometres from the Vietnamese border.

All five had been imprisoned and violently beaten, including being assaulted and electrocuted with stun batons — a pattern consistent with abuses reported in other scam-gang compounds when workers failed to meet targets.

According to the victims, operations there were overseen by “Je Rose”, a Thai woman in her early thirties who works closely with a Chinese boss.

Bird added that the Tboung Khmum compound is the only known location where deaths have occurred without the cases ever reaching Thailand. Intelligence sources informed the IMF team that the area hosts a company hired specifically to dispose of victims’ bodies. Corpses were reportedly incinerated, with each disposal paid at about US$10,000.

Regarding Je Rose, Bird said she previously worked for online gambling networks before becoming an “agent” or HR recruiter supplying trafficked Thai workers to scam gangs in Tboung Khmum. She lives mainly in Cambodia and occasionally slips back into Thailand through natural border routes. 

Within the gang hierarchy, she serves as an enforcer for the Chinese boss — directing operations and ordering groups of men to beat or torture Thai workers who failed to reach targets. Bird confirmed that authorities have now received all intelligence concerning her activities.

When asked whether Toto — the most recent Thai victim found dead — had any outstanding warrants, Bird said he did not know. “We’re not concerned about his past or whether he had any legal issues. We only want to bring his body home to his family. That is our duty as fellow Thais,” he said. 

He acknowledged that many trafficked workers have warrants in Thailand, which makes them afraid to seek help from authorities.

He urged the public to understand that many victims had no intention of committing crimes. “Some were deceived and forced to open mule accounts or were sold from one gang to another. Once they realise they have warrants, they believe they can never return to Thailand.”

“Some would rather die than come back. Others end up turning to crime and joining the gangs; those individuals have no intention of returning because they live comfortably over there. We must bring them back to face justice.”

He added that the purpose of bringing the victims to speak with police was to support the dismantling of the networks and to identify and arrest the agents who lure Thais into scam compounds. 

“We have handed over all the information to the police, but we cannot make the details public,” he said.

Jirabhop said the meeting with IMF representatives and rescued victims had provided crucial insights. The information was credible and aligned with existing intelligence, he noted, which would help authorities respond more effectively and swiftly to the escalating problem.