Award-winning Cambodian freelance journalist Mech Dara, who reported regularly on trafficking and cyberscam compounds, was arrested in the southwestern part of the country on the afternoon of 30 September 2024, a rights groups and local journalists’ association said, though his whereabouts remain unknown.

Six police cars intercepted Dara’s car at the Srae Ambel toll booth in Koh Kong province while he was driving to Phnom Penh, a relative who was with him told human rights group Licadho.

Last year, Dara won the U.S. State Department’s human trafficking Hero Award for his coverage of Cambodia’s scam-compounds, where an estimated 100,000 have been forced to work – under threat of violence – as the perpetrators of online scams targeting people across the world.

Dara’s reporting included stories for Voice of Democracy linking Cambodian businessman Ly Yong Phat to scam compounds. Known as the “king of Koh Kong,” Ly Yong Phat and his LYP Group conglomerate were sanctioned earlier this month by the U.S. Treasury Department for alleged abuses related to the treatment of trafficked workers in online scam centers.

"Arresting one of Cambodia's bravest journalists will have a devastating effect on access to information for all Cambodians," said Naly Pilorge, outreach co-director at Licadho.

Dara sent a text message to Licadho informing them of his arrest, but as of 10:30pm they had not been able to determine where he was being held, said Pilorge.

RFA Khmer attempted to contact government officials but were unable to get any confirmation of the arrest.

The Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association, or CamboJA, said it had confirmed the arrest with Eng Hy, a military police spokesman, who did not reveal the reason or where the journalist had been sent.