A taxi driver and two of his business associates were sent to Banteay Meanchey Provincial Court for questioning Monday morning for extorting almost $300 from a passenger, local police said.
Phoeung Mann Soeng, chief of the provincial police’s serious crimes bureau, said that on Thursday the passenger, Prum Sopheak, 35, agreed to pay 800 baht ($23) for a ride from Poipet City to Phnom Penh.
However, just outside of Poipet, the driver, Phal Seya, 28, and his brother-in-law, Liv Tainghour, 26, stopped the car and demanded more money, Mr. Sopheak told police.
“The taxi driver then extorted money from the passenger,” Mr. Mann Soeng said, adding that the pair threatened to use violence against Mr. Sopheak, who works in Thailand, and demanded that he pay them 10,000 Thai baht ($282).
“To escape the threat, the victim offered to pay the money as they wanted,” Mr. Mann Soeng said.
The passenger was then forced out of the car and Mr. Seya and Mr. Tainghour drove back to Poipet, where they were arrested the following day after Mr. Sopheak filed a complaint with police, Mr. Mann Soeng said.
Pich Chantra, 28, who had been involved in the initial price negotiation, was arrested on Sunday in Preah Netr Preah district, and all three were sent to court Monday, he added.
