People power helped police catch a pair of purse snatchers in Phnom Penh yesterday. The suspects were among a group of four men on motorbikes that allegedly snatched the bag of a woman while she escorted her 50-year-old mum to hospital.

Spotted by patrolmen, the thieves soon ditched their wheels. However, their attempt to escape through a slum was thwarted when residents blocked their path, allowing police to apprehend two suspects and retrieve the bag, which contained $120 and a mobile phone. KOH SANTEPHEAP