The Underworld Podcast Cambodia’s Untouchable Gangster-in-Chief
Sep 30, 2025
Nathan Southern is an investigative reporter in Phnom Penh specializing in organized crime, while Lindsey Kennedy is a journalist focusing on corruption and trafficking in Cambodia. They dive into the notorious Hun Toh, revealing his rise from illegal logging to running a vast criminal empire. The discussion covers scam industries, the geography of crime in Southeast Asia, and how Chinese investments inadvertently empower these activities. With insights into the evolution of drugs from heroin to meth and the challenges journalists face, this conversation uncovers the dark underbelly of Cambodian politics.
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From Timber Trafficker To Digital Crime Boss
- Hun To rose from timber trafficker to a director role in a massive criminal digital marketplace that moves billions.
- His arc mirrors Cambodia's shift from resource plunder to a global online crime hub tied to scams and money laundering.
Finding Scam Compounds Hidden In Logging Sites
- Lindsey Kennedy and Nathan Southern discovered early scam compounds disguised among logging depots during field reporting.
- Photos later revealed casinos and Chinese signage linked to Hun To's companies before the scam industry exploded.
Scams Became An Economic Backbone
- Cambodia's entire economy is being reshaped by scam compounds, casinos, and SEZs that function as organized-crime hubs.
- These hubs have spread along borders and co-opt infrastructure to become mini criminal towns serving global syndicates.