Phnom Penh: The Criminal Police Department has uncovered a disturbing case involving the kidnapping of women by Chinese nationals, resulting in the arrest of two suspects and the successful rescue of one victim.

On January 13, 2025, officials were alerted to a kidnapping incident at the Nou Di Si Hotel in Sangkat Teuk Thla, Khan Sen Sok, Phnom Penh. The victim, 37-year-old Vietnamese national Ho Thi Luong, was reportedly abducted and placed in a suitcase as part of a scheme to extort money by a group of unidentified Chinese criminals.

Acting on immediate orders from Lieutenant General Ngeng Chu, Director of the Criminal Police Department, an expert team was assembled, led by Brigadier General Hun Monyrath and Deputy Director Colonel Chan Kimly. On January 26, 2025, at approximately 5:30 PM, the team worked collaboratively with police inspectors from the Dangkor and Boeung Keng Kang districts to locate the suspects and identify their hiding places.

During the operation, the expert team successfully rescued a second victim, 40-year-old Zhao Kang Li, also a Chinese national. The investigation subsequently led to the arrest of two suspects: 27-year-old Jiao Youke and 37-year-old Zheng Naiwen, at Borey Pipu Thmey in Kou Srov 3, Sangkat Roluos, Dangkor District.

The suspects confessed to their involvement in multiple kidnappings, comprising a total of six cases targeting both Chinese and Vietnamese women, whom they placed in suitcases for the purpose of extortion. The Criminal Police Department has charged both individuals and submitted the case to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court.

In light of these developments, the Criminal Police Department urges all guesthouses and hotels to be vigilant. Authorities request that staff report any unusual activity, particularly instances of individuals carrying large suitcases in a suspicious manner.