Seven Chinese nationals accused of kidnapping and illegally detaining three men before attempting to extort money from their families in 2015 were convicted and sentenced to between 15 and 25 years in prison yesterday at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court.

Presiding Judge Ros Pesith said the seven men – Dai Xiao Hui, 35, Hue Wutong, 46, Li Xihua, 59, Xu Cheng, 41, Wang Jie, 35, Zhang Zhong Sheng, 41, and Chou Chealong, 45 – were all casino gamblers and loan sharks representing the Sai Min Company based inside a leading hotel here before they were charged with “arrest, detention and unlawful confinement with aggravating circumstance” under article 253 of the Criminal Code.

Mr. Chou, who is at large, was identified as the mastermind of the operation and was sentenced in absentia to 25 years in prison...

During their trial in September, all six men confessed to working as loan sharks for Sai Min Company. They said their job was to bring clients to NagaWorld casino and loan money to them if they ran out.

The men said they did bring the victims to the rented houses and detained them, but claimed they only did it because their boss, Mr. Chou, told them to...

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