An alleged gasoline smuggler died in a motorbike wreck Wednesday evening after being pursued by customs officials in Kompong Cham’s province’s Ponhea Krek district, officials said Thursday.
An hour after the incident, 400 enraged villagers stormed a customs checkpoint in Tropeang Thlong commune and torched the Toyota pickup truck used to pursue the suspect, which had crashed into him and killed him.
Phy Kong, 20, who had allegedly been transporting 200 liters of gasoline from Vietnam, died at the scene after being crushed under the pick-up at 7:15 pm, said Em Sary, district police chief.
The torched pickup had been used to chase four alleged smugglers on motorbikes down route 72, a customs official said.
“Seven customs officials fled the mob after the accident,” said Sin Samphal, provincial customs department chief.
“There were 50 policemen present, but we couldn’t stop the villagers because they had no representative to negotiate and the mob only wanted to take revenge,” said Hun Neang, Kompong Cham provincial governor and the brother of Prime Minister Hun Sen.
“I have offered [$244] for the cremation of the victim and with state laws we will resolve the other problems between customs officials and the victim’s family,” he said.
Dust in the road prevented the customs officials from seeing that Phy Kong had fallen off his motorbike, Hun Neang added.
“Their vehicle ran him over and he died,” he said.
The crash and subsequent mob violence were not unprecedented, he added.
“Three times gasoline smugglers have been in accidents after customs officials chased them. Three people have died and three vehicles and several motorcycles have been burned,” he said.
