The Phnom Penh Post

Taskforce seizes 25 AK-47s in capital

- Voun Dara

A JOINT t a sk force aga i nst i l le g a l weapon s t hat wa s formed at the end of September has resu lted in Phnom Pen h municipal a nd commune police seizing 25 AK-47s at a house i n t he c apit a l’s Praek Pnov district.

Another three AK-47s were seized in Kampot and Pursat provinces.

In total, eight suspects were arrested during t he raids.

Municipal police said they are continuing their search for a ringleader and any others involved.

Pongsang commune police chief Bon Tharan told The Post that the case was managed by the Phnom Penh municipal police.

“The people who hid the firearms are those that live in the area. They hid the weapons, burying them in holes about four metres from their houses,” he said.

On the raid, Tharan said police located the hidden weapons and detained the owner of the house – identified as Von Leng – who buried all 25 AK-47s.

“The suspect resides in Pongsang commune, Praek Pnov district,” Tharan said. “He does not work for the government [which allows security forces to carry weapons].

“He studied electrical engineerin­g and has no wife.”

The municipal police report sa id t hat of f icers deta i ned eig ht suspect s a nd con f iscated 28 AK-47s in tota l from r a id s i n Ph nom Pen h a nd Kampot and Pursat provinces as of September 28.

Deputy chief of the National Police Chay Kim Khoeun said the police are still working on the case.

“We are currently investigat- ing the case, and as such we are unable to provide further details at this time,” said Kim Khoeun.

The police report said t hat of t he 28 rif les t hat were conf iscated, 25 were bur ied i n Pongsa ng commune, Praek Pnov dist rict, Phnom Penh; two were found in Techo Kbal Domrei village, Kampot province; and the other was discovered i n K r a kor d i st r ict, Pursat prov ince.

 ?? POLICE ?? Police examine a cache of 25 AK-47s found in Phnom Penh’s Praek Pnov district.
POLICE Police examine a cache of 25 AK-47s found in Phnom Penh’s Praek Pnov district.

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