Cambodian authorities have announced that they are investigating Chinese-born businessman Deng Pibing. Deng was named in a recent high-profile story by international broadcaster Al Jazeera that exposed allegations of online scam operations and corruption at the Long Bay development in Koh Kong province.
In response to questions by The Post, Chhay Sinarith, head of the Commission for Combating Technology-enabled Scams (CCTC), confirmed that the investigationis ongoing.
“According to the General Department of Immigration, Deng Pibing left Cambodia in late May 2026,” he added.
Sinarith also revealed that, according to information obtained from “specialised sources”, the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has issued a Red Notice for Deng.
An Interpol Red Notice is a request to law enforcement agencies in member countries to locate and provisionally arrest a wanted person pending extradition or other legal proceedings. It is not an international arrest warrant or proof of guilt.
The notice has not been independently verified, and Sinarith did not specify which country had requested it or the alleged offences involved.
He confirmed that in February, Cambodian authorities identified several buildings within the Long Bay development that were suspected of being used for online scam operations.
He noted that although many suspected operators fled the premise ahead of the raids, which netted substantial evidence potentially linked to online scam activities, Koh Kong provincial authorities detained several suspects.
The buildings have been sealed as investigations continue.
Sinarith did not specify how many suspects were detained, their nationalities or whether any had been referred to court for prosecution.
He noted that Prime Minister Hun Manet personally visited Koh Kong province on September 5, 2026, to inspect progress at several of the locations that have been placed under the control of law enforcement authorities.
Deng was the subject of an investigative documentary by Al Jazeera’s 101 East programme titled Exposing an Alleged Crime Kingpin’s Cambodian Empire, which was posted online on October 10.
In the documentary, Al Jazeera journalists conducted an undercover investigation, posing as individuals involved in an online gambling business from the Philippines to examine operations at Long Bay, which has been promoted as a world-class coastal tourism development.
According to the investigation, Long Bay was allegedly home to online scam operations, drug use and widespread illegal activities linked to networks of influential individuals.
The documentary featured secretly recorded footage and conversations with individuals connected to the development, including claims that more than 300 security personnel and over 1,000 employees were operating within the complex.
In one segment, Deng was secretly filmed discussing the financial support he provided to police units to ensure security at his development. Al Jazeera suggested that the conversation raised questions about possible protection from law enforcement officials.
Sinarith maintained that the government and CCTC remain firmly committed to enforcing the law and continuing efforts to suppress and eliminate online scam activities.
He said the national campaign was not limited to shutting down suspected scam compounds but also aimed to prosecute ringleaders and other individuals implicated in the operations, freeze assets belonging to criminals and continue investigations into the numerous cases currently before the courts.
According to figures presented by the commission at the International Conference on Combating Online Scams in Phnom Penh in September, Cambodian authorities inspected 832 locations and conducted enforcement operations at 663 sites between July 2025 and August 31, 2026.
During the same period, authorities froze more than $300 million in bank accounts linked to online scam offences, while 446 cases involving 3,927 suspects were referred to the courts.
The same report indicated that charges were laid in four cases involving public officials, with a total of 15 suspects.
However, Cambodian authorities’ claims of progress in cracking down on online scam operations have faced scepticism from some experts and organisations monitoring the issue.
In a report published by the Associated Press in late August, some experts speculated that despite the closure of several large-scale scam compounds, there were still indications that activities and the recruitment of foreign nationals into these operations may be continuing.