Approximately 57 workers fled Cambodia's O-Smach Resort casino on Sunday, escaping what they described as forced labor conditions at the complex located in Oddar Meanchey province.

The workers, reportedly wielding metal bed frame rods, overwhelmed security guards during their escape, resulting in two injuries. Many of the escaped workers originally came from Nepal and Pakistan before arriving in Cambodia.

The US Department of Treasury sanctioned the resort and its owner, Ly Yong Phat of L.Y.P. Group, in September following allegations of human trafficking and forced labor. According to investigations, victims were:

• Lured with false employment opportunities
• Had phones and passports confiscated upon arrival
• Forced to work up to 15 hours daily
• Required to meet strict quotas
• Subjected to beatings and electric shocks if quotas weren't met
• Sold to other scam operations or forced into sex trafficking
• Required to pay large ransoms when seeking help

The resort, situated near the Cambodia-Thailand border, allegedly operated fraudulent online gambling operations. Two victims reportedly died by suicide at the complex between 2022 and 2024.

Local authorities previously conducted rescue operations at the resort, including one in March. The escaped workers were questioned by police and many now seek employment at casinos in Poipet, approximately 124 miles from O-Smach Resort.

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