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In a landmark legal move, South Korea is repatriating 73 of its nationals from Cambodia for their alleged involvement in a massive online scam syndicate. This marks the largest single-batch extradition of suspects from abroad in the country’s history. The suspects, 65 men and 8 women, are accused of defrauding South Korean citizens of 48.6 billion won ($33 million).
The repatriation comes following intense public outcry after a South Korean student died last summer due to torture in a Cambodian scam center. A chartered flight is scheduled to land in Seoul this Friday, January 23. While 130 suspects have been returned since October, officials fear nearly 1,000 more South Koreans remain trapped in modern slavery across Southeast Asian scam centers.