Police in Svay Rieng province said Wednesday that they had yet to identify any suspects in the armed robbery of a mobile-payment kiosk and currency exchange business in Romeas Hek district that left one man dead.
At about 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, three men riding a single motorbike pulled up to the home of In Saran, who operated a Wing kiosk and currency exchange out of his residence in Andong Por commune, and pointed a handgun and AK-47 at him, according to Khim Lai, chief of the provincial police’s serious crime bureau.
Mr. Lai said a relative of Mr. Saran, Kong Yoeun, 35, ran over from a nearby fruit shop and attempted to wrestle the assault rifle away from one of the robbers, but was shot and killed in the struggle.
“One of suspects used an AK to shoot at him three times,” he said, adding that the victim was shot once in the thigh and twice in the abdomen, and died at the scene.
After gunning down Kong Yoeun, the robbers made off with 31 million riel (about $7,750), $4,000 in U.S. notes and $725 worth of gold jewelry, Mr. Lai said.
The bureau chief said that no witnesses to the robbery recognized the three men, all of whom looked to be over the age of 20, and that police had no leads in the case.
“Police immediately arrived at the scene after getting reports, but the suspects had already fled,” Mr. Lai said.
Contacted Wednesday, district police chief Sam Sam Ol said his officers, who joined members of the provincial and commune forces at the scene of the robbery, had not been able to identify any suspects.
“We are burning our fingers trying to break open this case—I don’t have enough time to talk to you,” he said, declining to comment further.
Deputy provincial military police commander Not Non, whose officers are aiding police in their investigation, also said that no suspects had been identified.
