Two women and a man appeared in Svay Rieng provincial court yesterday charged with illegal detention after being arrested on Monday for allegedly holding three Vietnamese nationals in a guesthouse against their will in Bavet town.

Sar Chantha, chief of the serious penal police in Bavet, said the suspects were arrested at a guesthouse owned by one of the suspects, 57-year-old Sok Kheng.

The other two suspects were identified as Chey Vicheth, 30, and Ving Thyphung, 33.

“They were arrested by police when they raided Sok Kheng guesthouse,” he said.

Sar Chantha said the victims were being detained because they owed their alleged captors money.

The suspects allegedly detained them and made calls to their families in Vietnam, demanding money in exchange for their release.

“The victims were detained for five days. They were rescued after we received information from their families,” Sar Chantha said.

The victims were sent back to their families in Ho Chi Minh City and the suspects have been sent to the Svay Rieng provincial prison to await their trials.

To contact the reporter on this story: Buth Reaksmey Kongkea at [email protected]