Vientiane police arrested 122 people during coordinated raids on seven rented houses in the capital’s Sisattanak district on 11 July as part of Laos’ ongoing crackdown on cybercrime and online scam networks.
The suspects included nationals of China, Malaysia, Brazil, Myanmar, Uruguay, and Pakistan. Authorities said the properties, located in Buengkhayong village, belonged to CAMCE Investment (Lao) Co., Ltd.
One house alone contained 34 Chinese nationals, while another housed 31 people, including 26 Brazilian nationals. Police also arrested 19 Malaysian nationals at a separate property and seized a small quantity of suspected narcotics during one of the searches.
Officers also detained a Chinese national who arrived at the scene while allegedly attempting to arrange bail for the suspects.
Police said investigations are continuing to identify others linked to the network, with those involved expected to face prosecution under Lao law.
Part of a Wider Crackdown
The Buengkhayong operation is the latest in a series of raids carried out across Laos this month as authorities step up efforts to dismantle online scam syndicates, illegal gambling operations, and telecom fraud networks.
The crackdown began on 3 July, when police raided a hotel at SanJiang Market in Vientiane’s Sikhottabong district and arrested 28 Chinese nationals allegedly operating an online gambling network. Suspects believed to be involved in call-center scams and fake social media accounts fled from two neighboring rooms before officers arrived.
The following day, immigration authorities transferred 174 Chinese nationals detained in earlier operations to Chinese officials at the Boten border checkpoint in Luang Namtha Province.
On 6 July, police arrested another 26 Chinese nationals in Sangthong district over an alleged fake South Korean stock investment scam promoted through social media. A day later, officers detained 35 suspects at three locations in Naxaythong district, before arresting 80 foreign nationals, mostly from Uganda and Kenya, at a wood-processing factory in Champasak Province on 8 July.
The recent operations follow a broader nationwide campaign against cybercrime.
Speaking at the National Assembly on 4 July, Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone said authorities arrested more than 4,400 people linked to cybercrime, online scams, and illegal gambling during the first half of 2026, with nearly 1,000 arrests recorded in June alone.
