A Chinese national suspected of running a Cambodia-based scam operation linked to the killing of a South Korean university student has been arrested during a raid on a luxury residence in Thailand, authorities said.
The suspect, identified by South Korean officials as Han Mo, was arrested in Pattaya by a joint Thai–South Korean task force. The operation followed an international investigation launched after the student’s death last year sparked widespread outrage.
“In close cooperation with Thai authorities, we arrested Han Mo, 42, a Chinese national, in Pattaya, Thailand,” South Korea’s Ministry of Justice, police, and intelligence agencies said in a joint statement. Officials said Han is suspected of involvement in the murder of a South Korean university student.
The victim, a 22-year-old student surnamed Park, was found dead inside a vehicle near Bokor Mountain in Cambodia’s Kampot province on August 8 last year. An autopsy concluded the student had been beaten and tortured before dying from blunt force trauma.
Park had traveled to Cambodia weeks earlier after being offered what was described as a part-time job. His death intensified scrutiny of scam compounds in Cambodia that have been linked to organized crime networks. These operations often lure foreign nationals with promises of legitimate employment, then detain them and force them to carry out online fraud.
In response, South Korean, Thai, and Cambodian authorities formed a joint task force to dismantle the criminal rings. Cambodian police arrested three Chinese nationals in October in connection with Park’s killing. The following month, Li Guanghao, identified by South Korean authorities as a Korean-Chinese suspect, was arrested in South Korea.
Han, described by South Korea’s Justice Ministry as the overall leader of the scam complex, is also referred to as Korean-Chinese by officials. Authorities said he worked with Chinese and South Korean accomplices to lure South Koreans to Cambodia between May and July last year using offers of lucrative part-time work.
Once there, victims were allegedly beaten, tortured, and threatened at gunpoint. Investigators said they were forced to surrender bank account passwords and carry out online scams targeting other South Koreans.
Thai media reported Han fled to Thailand shortly after Park’s body was discovered. South Korean authorities later tracked his location and alerted Thai officials, leading to his arrest.
During the raid, police found two additional Chinese nationals at the residence. One was questioned and released, while the other was arrested on drug-related charges after admitting to using crystal meth, Thai authorities said. Investigators reported no evidence linking the case to Thai victims.
South Korea has formally requested Han’s extradition.
“We will request the extradition of the criminal from Thai authorities and continue to cooperate internationally to bring all suspects involved in this case to justice,” the Justice Ministry said.
Separately, South Korea’s presidential office announced that a joint Cambodian–South Korean operation led to the arrest of 26 suspects in Phnom Penh. The group is accused of running online scams and sex crimes targeting South Koreans, allegedly extorting 26.7 billion won (about $18 million) from at least 165 victims.
Officials said some female victims were also forced to produce explicit material for distribution as part of the operation.
