Overview
- A Korean Air charter landed on Jan. 23 with 73 suspects who were taken into custody under court warrants executed on the national carrier and sent to police units nationwide for questioning.
- Police on Jan. 24 sought arrest warrants for all 73 as investigators pursue concealed assets and prepare further prosecutions.
- Authorities allege the group defrauded 869 South Koreans of about 48.6 billion won, with 70 suspects tied to online fraud and three facing charges including hostage-taking, robbery and illegal gambling.
- A South Korea–Cambodia team identified and raided seven compounds in Sihanoukville, Poipet and Mondulkiri, where some detained and abused South Korean victims were rescued.
- Officials say certain suspects used deepfake personas and cosmetic surgery to evade detection, and additional South Korean detainees in Cambodia are awaiting repatriation.