The body of a dead Russian man was found with a slashed throat in a canal near Sihanoukville’s Otres beach over the weekend, and police said yesterday they have identified another Russian national as the murder suspect.

On Sunday, officers located the body of Denis Goncharov, 29, floating in a canal at Preah Sihanouk’s Commune 4, Village 6, said deputy provincial police chief Kol Phally.

An autopsy report revealed that Goncharov was murdered with a “sharp knife”, he added.

“This is a dispute between the victim and a perpetrator who is also Russian,” Phally said. “We know the identity of the suspect. We are hunting for him.”

“At the scene, we found shattered glass from a motorcycle, a motorcycle’s right brake, a silver necklace with Buddha statue and a pair of shoes of the victim,” the report continues.

According to the victim’s wife, Goncharov rented a home in the commune’s Village 5.

The gruesome murder comes on the heels of former provincial police chief Seang Kosal’s replacement and amid an outbreak of violent crime, including brawls, shootouts and alleged assassinations linked by some to “Russian mafia”.

“Just when we thought things were heading in the right direction, this really makes everyone step back and escalates everybody’s level of concern again,” said Sihanoukville Tourism Association head Douglas McColl.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SHAUN TURTON