Seoul, Oct 15 (IANS) A South Korean woman was found dead in Vietnam near the border with Cambodia last week under unclear circumstances, police said Wednesday.
The woman in her 30s was found dead near the Vietnam-Cambodia border on October 8 (local time), prompting local police to look into the cause of death, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The woman’s body reportedly underwent an autopsy before being referred to her family. No signs of foul play were reportedly found on the body, according to officials.
The Seoul foreign ministry said it requested local public security officials in Vietnam to look into the whereabouts of the woman after receiving a tip-off from a South Korean national who escaped from a phishing scam gang in Cambodia.
The informant claimed the woman had been “confined at a local hotel for an extended period of time.”
South Korean police, who suspect the woman may have been linked to a local voice phishing group, have launched an internal probe into the case.
Police and the foreign ministry officials suspect the woman may have died in the process of returning to Cambodia after her visit to Vietnam at the order of a criminal organization.
A surge in crimes targeting South Koreans in Cambodia who fell victim to job scams has made national headlines in recent weeks, with Seoul officials making efforts to bring back some 60 Koreans detained in Cambodia over their involvement in such cases by this weekend.
Police said they plan to look into the exact cause of the death after receiving the autopsy results from Vietnamese officials.
Meanwhile, two South Korean nationals detained in a crackdown on job scams in Cambodia returned home this week, police said Wednesday.
They were among 63 South Koreans detained at Cambodia’s immigration offices following a crackdown on job scams behind a series of disappearances and abuse cases involving Koreans, including one death.
Police initially announced four South Korean suspects returned home but later sent out a revised notice that two had returned.
The suspects were repatriated on a flight operated by a national flag carrier on Tuesday, the police said. Some had been placed on the Interpol Red Notice wanted list after police obtained warrants for their detention.
–IANS
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