Three Cambodian women and two Chinese men were detained in Phnom Penh on Saturday after allegedly planning to send seven girls and women to be illegally married off in China.
“We arrested them yesterday at noon as two Chinese men visited seven Cambodian women whom they planned to send to China,” municipal anti-human trafficking police chief Keo Thea said Sunday.
One of the arrestees, Chhun Lida, 27, confessed to having already sent 30 Cambodian women to China to be married.
The seven Cambodian victims, who were found in a rented house in Tuol Kok district’s Toek La’ak commune, came from Kratie, Kompong Cham and Kandal provinces. Two of the seven victims were 16 years old, while the others were between 19 and 21, Mr. Thea said.
After the alleged traffickers were arrested, the girls and women were sent to the municipal social affairs department to be educated on the dangers of human trafficking before being returned to their hometowns.
The five suspects are being kept in police custody and are due to be sent to the municipal court today to face charges.
Mr. Thea said this was the fifth crackdown on people trafficking brides to China since the beginning of 2014.
