Authorities in Kompong Cham province have called off the search for a missing commune police chief who disappeared on June 21 while investigating reports of illegal fishing.
No Lab, Svay Por commune councilor, said the presumption was that the missing man, Chan Sophal, 48, was dead.
“We don’t have the ability to continue searching for the victim’s body,” Mr. Lab said Monday.
“The size of the flooded forest is more than 20 hectares, so it is difficult to search, and we cannot order the villagers to look some more. However, police are still investigating.”
After giving up hope that he would be found alive, Chan Sophal’s family held a funeral ceremony for him on Saturday, his brother-in-law Sam Un said.
“We held a traditional Cambodian funeral because we have tried to find his body for more than a week but have not found anything,” said Mr. Un.
“We regret losing my brother during an investigation about illegal fishing in the commune. We believe that he was killed and buried in the mud.”
