Three men have been arrested in relation to a violent robbery and shooting in Russey Kheo district on Monday night that left two men dead and one woman seriously injured.

Tim Sareth, Koh Dach commune police chief, said police had arrested the three men on Monday and Tuesday, and were searching for one additional suspect.

He said Hem Ven, 72, and his son Hem Vannak, 37, died after they were both shot once in the head.  Krouch Makmin, 69, was seriously injured in the attack and was treated at Phnom Penh’s Calmette Hospital.

“In our initial evaluations, we believe it was a robbery and was possibly motivated by revenge, as the suspects took three phones and about 50,000 riel from the victims’ home,” Tim Sareth said.

Saom Bunny, Russey Keo district police chief, said the three men had been detained for further questioning while police searched for an additional suspect.

“I haven’t set a date yet for when they will be sent to court to be charged because we are still questioning them and searching for one more suspect,” Saom Bunny said.

The incident in Russey Keo comes after Sok Phal, deputy national police chief, told the Ministry of Culture on Monday that reports of serious crimes had decreased in 2010 compared with 2009.