A recent photo of a Cambodian street scene that went viral on Korean online forums has sparked international concern about public safety. The photo shows dozens of passports scattered near a roadside trash can in Cambodia, including Thai passports and even a number of foreign passports. The presence of these passports has led many to suspect the involvement of organized crime.
According to Korean media reports, a Korean netizen shared this photo on October 12th and initiated a discussion titled "A common sight in Cambodia, horrifying once you understand it." The image shows dozens of passports, including brown Thai passports and numerous foreign passports, mixed in with trash dumped on a Cambodian street.
In fact, this photo was first exposed in early June. According to a report by Khaosod on June 21st, an anonymous user posted the photo on the public Facebook group "Thais Living in Poipet (คนไทยในปอยเปต)" and wrote:
"At the garbage dump at the corner of the alley, I don't know how these people will get home, or if they can even get home."
This passage also reflects the fear of local people.
Sources familiar with the matter said the filming took place in the Cambodia-Thailand border city of Poipet, and most of the passports belonged to Thai citizens and were expired. The Thai Immigration Department and Cambodian police are actively cooperating to collect and re-inspect these passports and will contact the holders to understand why they were discarded.
In August of this year, a South Korean university student was lured to Cambodia, abducted, and brutally tortured by a fraud ring, ultimately dying there. Cambodian police have arrested three Chinese suspects and charged them with murder. This incident has caused panic among South Koreans, and after the photos were released, many expressed their concerns:
"How many people were kidnapped?"
"Why would someone who travels abroad throw away their passport?"
"Could it be that the fraud ring simply threw away the victims' passports?"
"The security situation in Cambodia is horrible!"
Original URL: HK01
