One of three surviving suspects in a botched robbery of a jewelry shop in Tbong Khmum province on Sunday was arrested on Wednesday, police said.
The suspect, 22-year-old Nuon Samnang, is allegedly one of four men who dressed in Royal Cambodian Armed Forces uniforms, followed a jewelry shop owner to his house in Ponhea Krek district on Sunday before shooting him in the leg and taking about $300,000 worth of jewelry.
The owner, Pang Pov, 52, shot and killed one of the thieves, but the three others escaped with the jewelry.
Interior Ministry penal department director In Bora said Thursday that police from his unit had captured and arrested Mr. Samnang in Phnom Penh while he was trying to sell the Lexus SUV the thieves used during the robbery.
Mr. Bora declined to comment further. “We’re still working on this case and I can’t say anything more,” he said.
Tbong Khmum provincial serious crimes bureau chief Chak So Kao said his forces had helped bring about the arrest.
“After those suspects committed the robbery, we cooperated with the penal department at the Interior Ministry to run the investigation until [the] suspect’s arrest,” Mr. Kao said.
“Police arrested him in Phnom Penh on Thursday at about 1 p.m. after he traveled from Tbong Khmum to exchange his car to destroy the evidence,” he said. “The suspect removed the plates from the car to destroy the evidence, but witnesses saw his car had transported the suspects from the scene.”
None of the $300,000 of jewelry was found, he said.
Mr. Kao explained that Mr. Samnang was attempting to sell his Lexus SUV and buy a Toyota Camry sedan at the time of his arrest. He added that his forces were still searching for the other suspects but had not yet located them.
“Today, police came to surround the house of one more suspect in [Tbong Khmum’s] Dambe district, but we still did not arrest any other suspects yet,” Mr. Kao said.
Provincial police chief Mao Pov said the investigation into the robbery was ongoing and declined to comment.
“We cannot tell you now because we are searching to arrest more people who were involved,” Mr. Pov said.
