Moto thief rains on soggy man’s parade

When it rains, it pours, as a drenched 33-year-old learned when his wheels were stolen as he sought shelter from a storm at a petrol station in the capital on Tuesday. Leaving his motorbike unattended, the man well and truly had his spirits dampened when a thief made off with it seconds later. The victim called police, who captured the thief next day. The suspect, 30, confessed, but all didn’t end swimmingly:  the thief had already sold the bike and spent the money, leaving the watery-eyed victim with the blues.  Kampuchea thmey  

Driving on ice a slippery proposition, dealers find

Speed and cars proved a dangerous mix for a Kampong Chhnang town meth ring when  police went to put the brakes on it on Wednesday. Officers said they arrested a 29-year-old man known for rolling into town with three others and inviting teens to fire up their engines with a little ice in their back seat. A village chief tipped off police to the dealers, prompting a chase that ended with the dealers’ car getting bogged. One man was arres-ted and three fled on foot. Kampuchea Thmey

Angry Birds makes for dismal damsel

A little downtime quickly became a downer for a 30- year-old woman when her mobile phone was snatched in Phnom Penh on Tuesday. Relaxing in a tuk-tuk on the way to market, the woman was playing a game on her iPhone when two men on a motorbike drove alongside her, snatched the phone and sped off. But it was game over for the men, 20 and 25, when police arrested them later that day and returned the phone. Nokorwat

Pair’s not-so-subtle subterfuge fails to fool

Two men who are unlikely to be referred to as criminal masterminds were arrested in the capital’s Por Sen Chey district on Wednesday after they covered the fake number plate on their motorbike with black plastic. This none-too-sophisticated act attracted the attention of police, who stopped the pair and asked for the bike’s registration.

That was also fake, leading officers to suspect the bike was stolen. The men, aged 25 and 27, were sent to court. Rasmey Kampuchea

Man seriously injured in Por Sen Chey crash

A security guard, 50, was critically injured in a motorbike crash in Phnom Penh’s Por Sen Chey district on Wednesday. Police said two garment workers, aged 24 and 25, smashed into the guard’s moto when they overtook a truck at high speed. The guard was left with head injuries and a broken leg, but the workers were only slightly hurt. Police seized the bikes and are still investigating.   Kampuchea Thmey

Translated by Phak Seangly