The Banteay Meanchey Provincial Court on Friday charged four Chinese nationals for the extortion of a 17-year-old Chinese boy over a gambling loan in Poipet City, officials said.
The court “decided to detain them temporarily,” according to Roeun Lina, a spokesman for the provincial court, who declined further comment, saying he was unfamiliar with the details of the case.
Or Lun, deputy provincial police chief in charge of immigration, said on Friday that the suspects were between the ages of 29 and 47, but also declined further comment.
The boy was rescued on Monday from the Only Star Hotel, where he had been held after accruing a debt he could not repay to the four suspects at the city’s Star Vegas Casino.
Authorities were alerted to the situation when the suspects sought repayment from the boy’s family in China.
Prosecutors declined to comment on the case on Friday.
The charge carries a penalty of between two and five years in prison and a fine of up to 10 million riel, or about $2,500.
