SEOUL, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- South Korea imposed sanctions on 15 individuals and 132 entities tied to cross-border online scam and human trafficking operations in Southeast Asia, including those linked to the Prince Group in Cambodia, Seoul's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Thursday.
The action comes after reports of hundreds of South Koreans being trafficked, detained or forced to work in scam operations abroad and growing international concern about illegal cyber fraud networks operating across Southeast Asia.
"This measure represents South Korea's first independent sanctions against transnational crime and the largest single sanction to date," the ministry said in a statement. "It demonstrates the government's firm commitment to proactively addressing online organized crime in Southeast Asia, which is causing significant damage both domestically and internationally."
The designated entities include the Prince Group, which allegedly operates massive scam compounds in the Prince Complex and the Mango Complex in Cambodia, where numerous Korean citizens have been detained and forced to work.
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