New police official cracks down on illegal gambling in Sihanoukville

A new Cambodian police official has ordered officers to crackdown on illegal gambling in the country’s southwestern coastal destination, warning that he will take a hard line on officers who allow such operations to continue.

According to Radio Free Asia, Chhoun Narin, the newly appointed provincial police chief of Sihanoukville, told law enforcement officers to clean up the town’s illegal gambling scene of betting on football and cockfighting among other things. And according to NGOs and villagers in the province, underground gambling is on the rise.

Sihanoukville is home to some of Cambodia’s bigger casino operations including the Queenco and Fortuna casinos.

"Brothels are hiding under massage parlors, and soccer bookies are hiding under coffee shops," a villager, who declined to be named, told RFA.

Sihanoukville Provincial Governor Chhit Sokhun said he supported the move to crack down on gamblers and urged all police officers to report to him if they come across gambling den operators attempting to use their connections to cover up their business.

"During those raids if the police officers encounter problems when illegal gambling operators use powerful people to protect them, I will report those issues to the government so it can take further measures," he said.

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