A man suspected of cheating villagers out of thousands of dollars had been arrested on Friday in Battambang province’s Battambang district, police officials said yesterday.

Provincial deputy military police commander Um Dara said 30-year-old Yorn Sarath had scammed villagers out of their money by making unfulfilled promises to free prisoners from jail.

Police said Yorn Sarath had confessed to the scheme, explaining that he deceived vill-agers by pretending to have connections to the court.

They said Yorn Sarath had confessed to charging rel-atives and associates of people jailed between US$2,000 and $3,000 to get a prisoner out of jail.

Lach Bros, chief of the provincial military police Crime Offence Research Office, said a number of complaints had been filed against the alleged swindler.

He advised relatives of prisoners to be very cautious when someone offered to get a loved one out of jail.