baray district, Kompong Thom province – A massive police hunt is under way here for notorious bandits who have for years struck fear into villagers through a systematic campaign of robberies, murders, kidnapping and rapes, officials said on Tuesday.
More than 250 police officers and 10 teams from the Interior Ministry’s crack “Flying Tigers” motorcycle squad have been ordered to the province by National Police Director-General Hok Lundy.
The operation began late last month and 16 members of two bandit gangs have been arrested, said Lek Vannak, deputy director of the Interior Ministry Penal police, who is leading the operation.
Gang bosses Ly Mao and Yim Ravy were apprehended in separate swoops in Baray district—the area hardest hit by the bandit attacks—and Kandal province, Lek Vannak said.
However, bandit brothers Tong Huon and Tong Him are still at large despite the police dragnet, he said.
“Even [if] it’s as little as 100,000 riel [around $25] they will rob people of this money,” said Baray district Police Chief Mei Chhem.
Mei Chhem said the well-armed bandits have been operating in Baray with impunity since 1996.
But in the last nine months alone they have conducted 34 armed robberies, 16 murders, six kidnappings, two rapes, four attempted murders and two unsuccessful armed robberies in Baray district and throughout the province.
The crime wave resulted in the deaths of 23 people, injured a further 53 and led to the rustling of 74 cows and buffaloes, according to provincial police reports.
One of the bandits arrested in the recent operation admitted to 13 kidnappings, one robbery and murder, and one robbery and rape, Mei Chhem said.
Villagers here say the efforts to restore law and order have paid off.
“I appreciate the competent authorities are strengthening security in our region. We feel safer and warmer,” said school teacher Keng Vantha, who knows first hand the viciousness of the roaming bandit gangs.
The 30-year-old teacher was robbed at gun point last year, but his life was fortunately spared by the bandits, who let him live because the gold ring they took from him was worth $200.
His aunt and uncle were not so lucky.
Highway robbers fired off a volley of shots as the couple were driving their motorcycle on a quiet road. Keng Vantha’s aunt escaped unhurt but his uncle is still in the hospital.
Similar stories of robbery, kidnapping and rape are common among the inhabitants of Baray district, the largest of the province’s eight districts.
Local human rights groups said they welcomed the Baray bandit crackdown but questioned some of the methods used by police.
Adhoc human rights investigator Kun Sitha said villagers were worried police could go too far in their zealousness to root out the criminals.
Kun Sitha said four suspected bandits were arrested by police and severely beaten recently, one suffering a broken rib and another so badly traumatized that he developed mental problems.
“When the suspect is beaten up this bad it’s a type of police torture toward suspects, Kun Sitha said.
Villagers are also afraid they will be wrongly fingered as bandits by jealous neighbors, she said.
Commander of the anti-banditry campaign Lek Vannak denied the charges of police torture and wrongful arrests and said his officers had been encouraged “mentally and materially” by Hok Lundy.
But some police officials, human rights workers and villagers said some of the bandit gangs in Baray had police and military police officers among their members.
Two Baray district police officers—one holding the rank of deputy police chief—have been detained and sent to the Interior Ministry in Phnom Penh for investigation, said Lek Vannak and Mei Chhem.
Corrupt court officials had also played their part in keeping the Kompong Thom bandits from justice, Mei Chhem said.
Since the banditry began, more than 200 case of serious crime in Baray district have been sent to the court for prosecution. However, it has not been unusual for kidnappers—with the help of a bribe—to gain their freedom just a few weeks after arrest.
Police are continuing to search for suspects and weapons, and the courts are now cooperating in the high level gang roundup, Mei Chhem said.
