Cambodian military police said on Tuesday they have arrested an award-winning reporter known for investigating local corruption, trafficking and online scam centres, prompting concern from a prominent human rights group and the United States.

A Cambodian reporter who exposed online scams and corruption was charged with a criminal offense that could land him in prison for two years for material he posted on social media.

The charge of incitement came after the United States punished a tycoon for what it said was his role in the scam compounds.

The court said his posts were fake, contained edited pictures and were full of ill-intention intended to make people think bad of the government

An award-winning journalist known for his work investigating human trafficking inside vast scam compounds has been arrested in Cambodia, as the country cracks down on media freedoms. Mech Dara was in a car with his family when he was arrested at a checkpoint on Monday.

Mech Dara, an award-winning Cambodian journalist who has reported extensively on human trafficking and corruption, has been arrested and charged with incitement. Dara, who has reported for the BBC, has been charged over five social media posts which could "incite social unrest", a court spokesperson said. He faces up to two years in jail.

Mech Dara, who has been honoured for his coverage of human trafficking in the cyber scam industry, was reportedly detained by authorities in Cambodia on Monday. He posted images on social media that were dubbed "fake" by officials.

A Cambodian court on Tuesday charged an investigative reporter known for exposing corruption and human trafficking, and whose arrest drew concern from rights groups and the U.S. government, with "inciting social unrest",

An award-winning Cambodian journalist known for reporting on human trafficking in the cyber scam industry has been arrested, police said Tuesday.