TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The unprecedented scale of Cambodia-related human trafficking incidents has jolted Taiwan into action with nationwide home visits by law enforcement.

Police have been mobilized to investigate the 4,000-odd citizens who are traveling to or have arrived in the Southeast Asian country, wrote Storm Media. Dustin Lee (李泱輯), a senior officer at the Criminal Investigation Bureau’s (CIB) International Criminal Affairs Division, recently spoke up about the spike in such cases that has rattled the country.

According to him, people headed for Cambodia lately can be divided into three groups: Those visiting the country for legitimate business purposes, defrauded victims, and individuals willing to engage in criminal activities.

Home visits send a warning to potential victims while serving to deter would-be criminals, Lee said. In an interview with Liberty Times, Lee said the 213 cases reported as of Aug. 7 could be just the “tip of the iceberg” as he expressed worry about the gravity of the situation.

In some cases, victims were locked in cages and fed dog food because they refused to work as swindlers. An intellectually-disabled citizen suffered physical abuse including knife cuts before being dumped on the street of Sihanoukville while another victim was sold four times to different trafficking rings, he said.

The foreign ministry has set up a website that provides the latest information on human trafficking events as well as emergency hotlines for Taiwanese nationals seeking aid.

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