Monday, March 26, 2012

Inquiry links Cambodian leader's nephew to drug trafficking, money laundering

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ... Australian police suspect his nephew of being involved in a crime syndicate targeting Australia. Photo: Bloomberg

Cambodian tycoons, Prime Minister Hun Sen's nephew Hun To, right, Cambodian Chamber of Commerce President Kith Meng, center, and Cambodian Sen. Ly Yong Phat, left, take part in ceremonies held ahead of the May 8 World Red Cross Day and Red Crescent Day in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, May 3, 2011. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
March 26, 2012
Nick Mckenzie and Richard Baker
The Sydney Morning Herald

AUSTRALIAN police suspect the nephew of Cambodia's Prime Minister is involved in a heroin trafficking and money laundering syndicate targeting Australia.

But a plan to arrest and question Hun To in Melbourne was thwarted because his application for a visa was denied by the Australian embassy in Phnom Penh, with one official citing the need to avoid a diplomatic incident. The targeting of Mr Hun To by an Australian Crime Commission inquiry that ran between 2002 and 2004 is one of several incidents that suggest strong and continuing links between Australian crime figures and Cambodia.

The Herald can also reveal that Sydney crime figures have been investing millions of dollars in suspected drug funds in big businesses in Cambodia, including those tied to influential government and business identities.

The revelations came after the Herald on Saturday reported that Australian officials had uncovered a global crime syndicate importing more than $1 billion worth of drugs into Australia annually and with connections to government and policing officials in Asia.

The inquiry that targeted Mr Hun To was called Operation Illipango and investigated the shipment of heroin to Australia from Cambodia in loads of timber.

As the nephew of the Prime Minister, Hun Sen, Mr Hun To is a powerful and feared figure in Cambodia and was once considered a close business associate of the country's richest man, Kith Meng, who owns the Royal Group.


Operation Illipango investigated suspected drug funds taken to Crown Casino in Melbourne where - under the suspected oversight of Mr Hun To - they were then moved to Asia.

Mr Kith Meng had numerous dealings with Mr Hun To during Mr Hun To's suspected organised crime activity, although the Herald is not suggesting Mr Kith Meng is involved in organised crime. The Royal Group has formed joint ventures with ANZ and Toll Holdings on projects in Cambodia.

The plans to arrest Mr Hun To were derailed after his visa was cancelled.

The only person charged with drug trafficking in connection to the commission's inquiry was a Cambodian, Phenny Thai, a lowly associate of Mr Hun To. Phenny Thai was described in the Victorian Supreme Court in 2005 as having "strong connections with powerful people in Cambodia which facilitated his business enterprises".

Among other Australians with suspected organised crime links to Cambodia are a Vietnamese-Chinese family in Sydney who own a well-known Asian restaurant. Police inquiries have determined that in the past decade, this family have helped send more than $10 million to Cambodia, including money suspected to be derived from drug trafficking.

Some of that was used to fund a casino on the Vietnamese border. In 2006, an associate of this family told an Asian news service that the casino business maintained ''a good relationship with the Cambodian government".

The revelations are part of research for The Sting, a new book on organised crime in Australia, published by Melbourne University Press.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is not a new revelation. Hun To has been the prime suspect as drug dealer in Cambodia. He organizes several gangters group to terorize Cambodian so to help his uncle stays in power. The Australian government for some reason close their eyes when come to the issue dealing with Hun Sen's relatives. The Australian government has done nothing to organize crime like this. They have their own internal issues too.

Anonymous said...

It is coming! This year is the year of Hun Sen aniversay "Chhnam Roernk".

All Cambodia please rise up to remove this mafia..

Anonymous said...

Hunto is prime minister son from first wife and gave to his brother to look after for him, this was from previously report somewhere in KI

Anonymous said...

Australia is just like any other western democratic countries includinging the US. History has clearly shown us that. They look after their interests first then justice and democracy in a third world country, which is quite understandable considering the true nature of man so Cambodians need to start counting on themselves first and foremost and just accept the assistance from those countries if it arrives.

It is sad but true Cambodia is being run by the CPP cronies whose interests are those of themselves with the blessing of the PM and the King who, from time to time, receive money from them for their charity works to get credits with the poor!

I give the PM and the King zero credits! Both of them will go down into history as part of the group that destroy Cambodian forest and environment. The King should not accept the money that comes from these crooks. You take $ 1.00 from them and $ 100.00 or so of Cambodian natural resources and forests are gone right into their pockets.

Pissed off

Anonymous said...

ដល់ពេលវេលាដែលសាច់ញាត្តិអាក្បត់ជាតិ ហ៊ុន សែន ត្រូវជាប់គុកបណ្តើរៗហើយ, ប្រព្រឹត្តអំពើអាក្រក់ បាបកម្មវាគង់នឹងតាមផ្តន់ទារជាក់ជាមិនខានឡើយ, រីឯអាខ្វាក់ ហ៊ុន សែន ក៏ដូច្នោះដែរគឺមិនអាចនឹងគេចរួចពីសំណាញ់ច្បាប់ឧក្រិដ្ខកម្មអន្តរជាតិបានឡើយដែរ។

Anonymous said...

Don't worry, money speaks! And money also grow wings.

Anonymous said...

Nail them!!!

Hun To aka ah Kla in Cambodia!
Chea Sim's Son aka Ah Damrey!
Heng Samrin's Son aka Ah kork!

Anonymous said...

AH HUN TO DOING WHAT AH HUN XEN IS DOING FROM THE PAST. JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL OVER YOU SOON POUK AH CRIMINAL PRAET

Anonymous said...

i think people should be treated as individual; they shouldn't use their relationship to abuse anything, you know! otherwise, they are not smart and outdated like living in a dark hole, really!

Anonymous said...

time up now

Anonymous said...

This is Hun Sen and CPP for you, let that be the lession for Australian new Foreign Minister Bob Carr.

The CPP and Hun Sen and his families are crooks and they are rotten to the borne. Hun To will never be arrested, UNLESS HUN SEN IS NOT IN THAT SEAT. Then all the unpunished crime in Cambodia since the KR periods can be properly prosecuted. Until that happened criminals of all sorts in Cambodia remain free to do what ever to who ever and which ever countries.

Anonymous said...

See when you die,try to take money with,instead will burn fake money for you.

Anonymous said...

No surprising. Cambodian people know very well who Hun to is. The never call him Hun to but "AH HUN TO". It's a misopportunity for Cambodia and for the Australian police that AH TO was not given a visa to Australia

Anonymous said...

This is far from over; the Australia will bring this potential suspect to face justice. Certainly, this individual will be the next "Tai Booma," and make no mistake.

Also, the prime minister can handle the suspect to the Australian authorities, or face other sanction.

Anonymous said...

Sack the Ozzie embassy staff in Phnom Penh.. here's a golden opportunity to nail this miscreant doing his nasty deed in Australia using Australian banks and they let him off scot free.. shame on you

Anonymous said...

1:55 PM

There'll be more than one individuals that were implicated in drugs and money laundering.

Rest assured, the prime minister and his political cronies will have to cooperate with the Australian authorities.

Also, I can assure you that this time the suspect will not be freed, when dealing with overseas matter.

Anonymous said...

1:55 PM. I agree. Someone in the Australia Emmbasy in PP blow the whistle.

Now we know someone in there is a rat. I wonder how much that rat was paid for blowing the whistle during a bait!

Anonymous said...

Let wait and listen to the comments that will be made by the LIER CHEAM Yeap, a Ass CLEANER of the CPP high ranking officials.

Anonymous said...

Bull Eyes!!! there is a big corruption outhere within Australia Embassy staff in Phnom Penh. someone in Australia must tip someone else in Phonm Penh's AE staff about pending arrrest of Hun To. Yes, reject VISA fro Hun To has eased out diplomatic crisis, but it has helped so much less embarrassement for Hun Sen himself along all information of drug and people who involved with the business if the arrrest was taken place in Australia. Rejecting Visa meant that the good tip has been passed on to Hun To and his gang group. AND MAY BE IT ALSO THE ADVANCED ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN HUN SEN AND SOME AUSTRALIA OFFICIALS

Anonymous said...

Shame on Australians officials working in Cambodia.

THis must be investigated, the whistle blower must not be allowed to get away with it.

Anonymous said...

OMG!!!! You are annoying! Repeat yourself like a fucking drunk! Stop it! Or I will kill myself I swear.

Anonymous said...

អា CHKAE YUON អាក្បត់ជាតិ ហ៊ុន សែន ,
SNH'ENH JENH TMINH ,
PROIS BARN JIS LARN ...............

AH NIS COPIER តាម GESTE
XIHANOUK TEANG ROS.................

Anonymous said...

បាបកម្ម !!!
បាបកម្ម !!!
បាបកម្ម !!!

ដល់ពេលវេលា អាក្បត់ជាតិ ,
អាឧក្រិដ្ខជនហ៊ុន សែន
អាខ្វាក់ ហ៊ុនណាល់
ដល់ពេលជាប់គុកហើយ,
ច្បាប់....គឺ....ច្បាប់
អា បល់បាយ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

អាខ្វាក់ហ៊ុន សែន ឈ្មោះដើមវាហ៊ុន ណាល់ ។
ឪវាឈ្មោះ ហ៊ុន នៀង ជាមេចោរលួចគោនៅស្រុកក្រូច
ឆ្មារ ខេត្តកំពង់ចាម ម៉ែវាឈ្មោះ ឌី ប៉ុក
ជាអ្នកលក់នំអាកោរ។ អាខ្វាក់ហ៊ុន សែន ឈ្មោះដើម
វា គឺ អាហ៊ុន ណាល់ ជាចោរដូចឪវាដែរ។
អ្នកស្រុកក្រូចឆ្មារដេញប្រផាត់រត់ប្រផីងជង់និង
មែកត្របែកខ្វាក់ភ្នែកម្ខាង ហើយឆ្នាំ៧០រត់ចូល
ចូលព្រៃម៉ាគី ធ្វើជាខ្មែរក្រហម។
ជំនាន់ខ្មែរក្រហម គណៈភូមិ គណៈឃុំ និង
គណៈតំបន់មួយចំនួនជាចោរ ឬ មេចោរលួចគោ ឬ ក្របី។
ដល់មកបានធ្វើនាយករដ្ធមន្ត្រី កើតជាមេចោរលក់
ជាតិ លួចជាតិ។ឪអាខ្វាក់ហ៊ុន សែន ជាមេចោរ អាខ្វាក់ហ៊ុន
សែនជាមេចោរ អស់ទាំងមុខមន្រ្តីក៏ជាចោរដូច អាខ្វាក់
ហ៊ុន សែន ដែរ។

ចំណែកក្មួយប្រុសអាខ្វាក់ហ៊ុន សែន ឈ្មោះ ហ៊ុន តូ
ជាមេចោរបំផ្លាញជាតិ មេចោរលួចជាតិ មេរកស៊ីទុច្ចរិត
ដូច មាវាអាខ្វាក់ ហ៊ុន សែន ដែរ។

Anonymous said...

ដល់ពេលជាប់គុកហើយ,
អា ហ៊ុន តូ !!!!!!!!
ច្បាប់....គឺ....ច្បាប់
អា បល់បាយ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Hun To doesn't work.Where in hell did he get the money to buy those fancy cars. He does DRUG TRAFFICKING along time. Some of his long lost friends know. Some friends that help him in the ellection of his Uncle to POWER know that he had kill so many people. These long lost friends cannot get contact to be friends any more. Drug make him rich and power and his uncle Hun Sen make him a killing machine. Exucute him on the spot.