Young, well-dressed Cambodian men were responsible for a spate of armed robberies against foreigners in Phnom Penh over the weekend, victims said.
While most of the victims were robbed at night, at least one reported being robbed at gunpoint in daylight.
Ricarda Doehr, a business assistant at The Cambodia Daily, said she was robbed near Norodom Boulevard and Street 322 at about 8 am Sunday, by a man riding a Honda Dream motorcycle. The robber, pointing a pistol at her head, took Doehr’s $300 camera.
“When I can’t even go out on a Sunday in the daylight with my camera, then when can I go?” she asked.
Robbery waves are common in the capital, especially around Cambodian holidays.
The US Embassy was concerned enough about the current situation to issue a warning last week for Americans to avoid crowds after two US citizens were robbed at the Water Festival.
Khuon Sophon, penal police chief, said Monday that he had not received any reports over the weekend about robberies against foreigners.
An aide to Mok Chito, municipal police director of the foreigner department, also said that he hadn’t heard about a new rash of robberies.
Many foreigners don’t bother to report being robbed, saying they feel police will not be able to do much.
The robberies come at a time when the municipality is trying to crack down on crime and unregistered weapons.
Municipal officials said last month that the crackdown was in response to a letter from US Ambassador Kenneth Quinn complaining about a recent surge in crime aimed against foreign residents.
