According to Cambodian media reports, in the early morning of January 25, a group of anonymous people pretended to be police officers at a gas station on Yongsheng Road in Meanchey District, Phnom Penh City, and chased a group of young people on motorcycles.
It is not known whether the anonymous group are the criminals who frequently blackmail young people at night, and it is not known whether they are police officers or criminals.
The young people who were blackmailed told the media that it was not the first time they had been blackmailed, but that they had only given 20,000 or 30,000 riel before, but this time it was different, because some of them wore diamond rings, so they were forced to take diamond rings and mobile phones and give them money (anonymous). After receiving the money, the anonymous men, posing as police officers, left the scene on motorcycles.
The group of young people also said that in addition to blackmail, they were also beaten.
After the incident circulated online, on the afternoon of January 25, the rapid response team of the Phnom Penh City Police Department said that the police had summoned five young victims for questioning. They told the police that the anonymous group was not the Meanchey district police, and it was not clear which district the police were.
In response to the case, the Rapid Response Team said that Phnom Penh City Police Chief Zunnarin had ordered an investigation and a search for those involved.
Many netizens commented after seeing the post of the rapid response team that the police should search various gas stations and pawnshops, hoping that the case will be solved within 24 hours. Others said that these people pretending to be police officers must be found and dealt with in accordance with the law, otherwise citizens will lose confidence in the police and will also be afraid when traveling at night.
Another netizen said: "I believe this is not the first case that has happened, if these people continue to go unpunished, the public will no longer trust the ability of the police..."
Phnom Penh police spokesman Song Wei Cha Ghan told the media that the police are now speeding up the investigation and collecting evidence, and are also checking the surveillance cameras at the petrol station to make sure that the anonymous people who are blackmailing the young people are really police officers. The police will make public the results of the investigation.
Phnom Penh citizens, especially the victims who have been blackmailed, hope that the police can solve the case as soon as possible. They said the anonymous group typically committed crimes at night or in the early hours of the morning, wearing uniforms and even carrying firearms. If they are not caught, it will surely bring unrest to society. #柬埔寨#