A raid at a Chinese construction site in the capital’s Chamkarmon district yesterday found half its Chinese workers without work permits and 10 who were arrested for lacking passports.

According to Uk Hai Sela, chief of investigations at the Interior Ministry’s immigration department, 139 out of 278 Chinese workers at a condo construction site managed by Guangzhou-based company China Construction Fourth Engineering Division Corp Ltd were found without work permits during a raid conducted by officials from the immigration department and the Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday.

“We have taken their passports and summoned the representative of the company to pay the fine . . . [of] 500,000 riel [about $122] for each worker,” he said, adding that the company will be fined an additional $900 for employing the illegal workers and violating the Labour Law.

“We have arrested 10 Chinese who did not have their passports [during the raid] and brought them to the General Department of Immigration,” he said, adding that the workers will be deported and prohibited from entering the Kingdom if it’s confirmed they lack a passport.

Representatives of the company could not be reached.