Four Cambodians were arrested by Thai authorities for allegedly crossing the border illegally from Banteay Meanchey province on Thursday and Friday, police said yesterday.

Chhun Sorngly, police chief in Ou’chrov district’s Ou Bei Chhean commune, said 19-year-old Soeung Beb and another man identified only as Mamarak, also 19, were arrested on Friday after allegedly driving a motorbike into Thailand.

“We’re not quite sure why they went there, but maybe it was for work,” he said.

Taing Sor, 37, and Chhorn Leb, 33, were arrested while aboard a truck carrying rice into Thailand on Thursday.

“They took the truck to Thailand, where it seems their employer wished to sell rice, but they were soon detained,” Sorngly said.

“The Thai authorities did not inform their Cambodian counterparts about the arrest.”

It was only when the suspects’ families contacted Cambodian authorities that they discovered the men had been detained.

In other recent cases of illegal border crossings, Thai authorities have alerted Cambodian officials to the fact that Cambodian nationals were arrested.

The Post reported late last month that more than 7,000 Cambodians had been detained trying to illegally cross into Thailand during January.

Many had done so on the advice of a broker who promised them work and were released shortly thereafter.

To contact the reporter on this story: Phak Seangly at [email protected]