THREE families lodged complaints with authorities in Banteay Meanchey on Monday, requesting that action be taken against a recruitment firm that sent their family members to work in Thailand on tourist visas, a move that subsequently led to their arrest.

Son Sokheng, 27, Chhoun Phoung, 30, and Poa Khema, 21 were detained by Thai police across the border from Poipet on June 10 after authorities checked worker passports held by the company.

Men Borith, 46, the father of Khema, said that he paid $150 to recruitment firm CDM Trading Manpower Co, Ltd to prepare a passport with a two-year work visa for his son to join 41 other Cambodians that the company sent to Thailand in March.

“The company promised a two-year [visa] . . . The company kept his passport . . . he did not know. After two months, he was arrested and detained for having a 14-day tourist visa,” he said.

Leng Yen, a monitor with Licadho, said that the company had to find a solution as they had made the mistake.