Authorities raided two FIFA World Cup betting establishments—one in Phnom Penh and one in Kompong Cham province—in the past two days and arrested nine people, charging at least one, police said Thursday.
Khut Savuth, 35, was arrested on Wednesday during a raid on his rented room in Kompong Cham City, where he was suspected of operating an illegal gambling business, according to Kompong Cham provincial deputy police chief Chhum Seng Hong. Mr. Savuth was charged Thursday, he said.
Mr. Seng Hong said police seized one computer, a fax machine and several betting slips during the raid. Kompong Cham deputy prosecutor Sorn Muny said Mr. Savuth was charged under Article 5 of the gambling law.
On Tuesday, police also raided an Internet shop in Phnom Penh’s Daun Penh district and arrested eight people on suspicion of gambling on the World Cup, according to Major Tey Visal, deputy municipal penal police chief.
“The raid took place around 4:30 p.m. and I directly led the taskforce to crack down [on] this Internet shop and we arrested eight people during the raid,” Maj. Visal said.
Maj. Visal said two people, who own the Internet shop, were sent to court, while the others were “educated” and released. He declined to name the two people sent to court or say whether they were charged.
Phnom Penh Municipal Court officials could not be reached for comment.
