Botched ransom

A 28-year-old Kampong Cham man was arrested on Sunday for kidnapping a 5-year-old boy from his former in-laws and then demanding US$3,000 cash for his return.

Provincial police said the boy was taken from his family in Cheung Prey district on December 30, without the family’s consent.

When family members contacted the suspect about the boy’s whereabouts, the alleged kidnapper confirmed he had the boy. The family didn’t suspect foul play, since the suspect was a former in-law.

Heng Vuthy, Cheung Prey district police chief, said the alleged kidnapper then held the boy at an apartment in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district for over two weeks before making a ransom demand last Saturday.

The family contacted the police after receiving the $3000 demand.

“The man’s plan failed because the Cheung Prey district police and Ministry of Interior police arrested him at a place where the man waited to get money from the boy’s family, at Meanchey district on Sunday,” said Heng Vuthy.

He added that the suspect is currently being detained at a Kampong Cham police station, where authorities are investigating his relation to the kidnapped boy.