Kandal police hunting Chinese robbers

K A NDAL prov i ncia l pol ice a re on a sea rch for f ive Chinese nationa ls who robbed t wo of t hei r compat r iot s of $3,000 and a mobile phone in Koh Thom district’s Sampov Poun commune early on Sunday.

Koh Thom dist r ict pol ice chief Si m Kheang said on Monday that the robbery happened in a shop when it was raining. The police are hav ing a hard time ident i f y i ng t he suspects because secur it y ca mera recordings did not show t heir faces and car plate number clearly.

“We a re hav i ng d i f f ic u lt ies i n t he invest igat ion because we do not have clear images of the suspects. The shop owner did not see the suspects’ faces too because they wore masks. The robbers used a k nife, not a gun,” he said.

Local media CPC reported that the five walked into the shop and pointed a knife at t he ow ners, robbi ng t hem of t hei r belongings and escaping.

Separately, Preah Sihanouk provincial Milita r y Pol ice a re quest ion i ng seven Chinese nationa ls after arresting t hem on Sunday for kidnapping and torturing 10 C h i ne s e c ompat r iot s i n Si h anoukville’s Commune I.

Authorities seized si x mobile phones, 10 pairs of handcuffs, four shack les, a cleaver and t wo items of clothing used to cover t he v ictims’ faces. The v ictims were hospitalised at the province’s referra l hospita l, said Preah Sihanouk Militar y Police commander Heng Bunty.

He decl i ned to make f ur t her comments, referring questions to National Military Police spokesman Eng Hy. However, Hy referred t he question to Preah Sihanouk Prov incia l Court, who led the crackdow n.

Provincial Court spokesman Lim Bunheng said the suspects had not been sent to the court as they were still being questioned at t he prov incia l Militar y Police stat ion.

“Off icia ls are questioning t hem to f ile documents to the court within 48 hours, but t he dead line ca n be ex tended for another 24 hours if necessar y,” he said.

Rights group Adhoc’s prov incia l coord i nator Cheap Sot hea r y sa id cr i mes committed by foreigners set a bad example a nd he is concerned t hat t hey a re hav ing a negative impact on t he loca l population.

“Casino staff told me t hat only a small number of Cambodians gamble at the casinos. Gambling creates crimes,” she said.