Strong armed robbery at market nets $250k
Strong armed robbery at market nets $250k
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/250k-stolen-daylight-heist$250k stolen in daylight heist
Tue, 10 March 2015
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
A sleepy village in Kampong Thom province was the unlikely site of a major gold heist over the weekend, as a gang of heavily armed robbers raided a local market in broad daylight, making away with more than $250,000 worth of cash and jewellery before fleeing into the jungle.
As of yesterday evening, police were still seeking the arrests of the six suspects, who witnesses say were armed with four AK-47 assault rifles as they raided Stong Market’s jewellery section on Sunday afternoon, stealing money and jewellery from five different vendors.
Yang Sam, Stong district police chief, said a major operation was under way to find the suspects, with officers from the police, military police and the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces surrounding the forest, waiting for the alleged jewel thieves to emerge.
“This is the biggest-ever robbery in this market, but our authorities will put every effort into capturing those thieves and bringing them to the court,” he said.
According to Sam, the suspects are accused of stealing about 101 damleung, or 3.78 kilograms, of gold, and 64 damleung, or 2.4 kilograms, of platinum. According to current market rates, this amounts to about $237,000.
They also stole more than $17,000 in cash, largely US dollars, Thai baht and riel, Sam said.
Chak Chanreith, chief of the Kampong Thom provincial police’s crime office, said that authorities were attempting to close in on the criminals, and had cut off access from the forest into local villages.
One of the victim’s of Sunday’s heist, jewellery vendor Oeng Bunchhay, said that he alone had $3,000 and 10 damleung of gold stolen by the armed thieves.
Moments before the market raid, Bunchhay said the suspects came to his stall posing as customers.
“I didn’t know that they were thieves, because at first four of them got off their motorbikes and started bargaining over prices from one store to the next,”
he said.
But “then the other two got off their motorbikes and broke the glass and started to collect all my jewellery and money. The four were standing pointing their rifles at us and they threatened to kill us if we shouted.”
All five vendors followed the thieves’ orders and survived the heist unscathed. But, left shaken by the incident, Bunchhay said he did not feel safe to resume business.
“Those thieves have not been arrested, so we, the jewellers, cannot run our businesses, since at this moment, we are scared.”
Re: Strong armed robbery at market nets $250k
This is really sad. It happened quite often in Cambodia.
បើសិនធ្វើចេះ ចេះឲ្យគេកោត បើសិនធ្វើឆោត ឆោតឲ្យគេអាណិត។
If you know a lot, know enough to make them respect you, if you are stupid, be stupid enough so they can pity you.
If you know a lot, know enough to make them respect you, if you are stupid, be stupid enough so they can pity you.
Re: Strong armed robbery at market nets $250k
I see guards with AKs/shotguns at gold shops in other countries in SEA and AK armed guards at banks here in Cambo, so why don't I see armed guards at gold shop here. I was just in a money changing shop in Snookyville, they had drawers full of cash, but no armed guard. Looks like easy pickings for the Cambodian version of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
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- Expatriate
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Re: Strong armed robbery at market nets $250k
I've seen armed guards at jewelers in Cambodia, definitely in Phnom Penh. I wonder if they took a break at the right time (i.e. inside job?)
Re: Strong armed robbery at market nets $250k
No low paid security guard in his right mind is going to risk his own life trying to prevent a robbery with four AK-47s being pointed about by six criminals. At least no one was killed.
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Re: Strong armed robbery at market nets $250k
Yes.MekongMouse wrote:I've seen armed guards at jewelers in Cambodia, definitely in Phnom Penh. I wonder if they took a break at the right time (i.e. inside job?)
And, Yes.
Isn't this the same town where the police chief's house was conveniently on fire at the same time. No resources available at the time.
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