Two women were sent to pretrial detention yesterday after being charged with trafficking a Cambodian woman to become a bride in China, police said.

San Kha, 52, from Kratie, and Sron Sinoeun, 47, from Kampong Cham, were arrested last Thursday and were charged on Saturday with “unlawful removal” for the purpose of “marriage against the will of the victim”, according to Nov Ratana, Kratie deputy police chief in charge of human trafficking.

She said police were alerted to the case after a complaint from Hass Setha, the father of a 28-year-old victim. “They persuaded a Cambodian woman to marry a Chinese man, saying she would have better living conditions.

But when the woman arrived [in China], it was not like what they said,” Ratana said. The victim is allegedly detained by her husband and routinely forced to have sex and threatened, Ratana said, adding the government and NGOs were working to repatriate her.

According to confessions obtained by police, the suspects have a network of accomplices. Both had previously assisted their own family members to marry Chinese men abroad.