PHNOM Penh police in cooperation with Kampong Cham provincial police arrested a woman yesterday for allegedly kidnapping and holding for ransom a 6-year-old girl.

Chem Seng Hong, deputy provincial police chief in charge of central justice, said  the girl’s parents had filed a report at the police station at about 9:30 on Saturday morning, after realising that their daughter was missing.

“At about 10am, the girl’s parents came back to our police station to tell us that their daughter was kidnapped, after receiving repeated phone calls from the suspect demanding they transfer US$20,000 in ransom for the girl,” he said. “They had negotiated down to $12,000 and agreed to transfer the money through [a branch of] Cambodia Asia Bank in Phnom Penh upon the suspect’s request, which is where she was

arrested that afternoon by bank security guards after being tipped off by bank officials.”

Police said the girl was unharmed and had been returned to her parents after her alleged kidnapper was arrested.

According to Chem Seng Hong, the suspect admitted to abducting the girl, citing a need for money to travel abroad as her reasoning. He added that the suspect would likely be sent to the provincial court today to face charges.