PHNOM PENH, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia cracked down on 198 human trafficking and sexual exploitation cases in the first six months of 2021, a remarkable rise from only 63 cases over the same period last year, a senior official said on Friday.
Some 139 cases involved human trafficking and 59 cases related to sexual exploitation, the Interior Ministry's secretary of state Chou Bun Eng said during a virtual meeting.
"During the crackdowns, our law enforcement agents had arrested a total of 291 suspects and rescued 721 victims," she said.
Bun Eng, who is also the permanent vice-chair of the National Committee for Counter Trafficking, said as the government was very busy to fight against COVID-19, some opportunists had tried to smuggle people across the border.
"However, the Cambodian government is doing its best to eliminate all forms of human trafficking and sexual exploitation in order to enhance the respect for human rights, dignity and social justice," she said. Enditem
