Capital cops make like gumshoes to nail dealer

Perhaps there’s a reason beyond public cleanliness that tough-on-drugs Singapore has also banned chewing gum. Police in Phnom Penh’s Daun Penh say gum packages were the means an alleged dealer used to hide eight small bundles of drugs for distribut-ion on Saturday night. After a tip-off and an investigation, police stopped and searched the man, seizing the packages. The suspect admitted he was intending to sell the tasty-looking treats, and was sent to court. Kampuchea Thmey

Jewel thieves’ escape plan proves all too wet

Two alleged necklace-snatchers in Kandal province’s Takhmao town had more than their spirits dampened on Saturday when they tried, and failed, to escape police by hiding in a pond. Police said the men had snatched a necklace from a 35-year-old woman who was riding a motor taxi to the market with her six-year-old son. The suspects’ and victims’ bikes collided and toppled in the process, and the snatchers escaped on foot to the watery site of their arrest. Nokorwat

Cops the winners again in game of hide ‘n’ seek

Police in Battambang’s Sampov Loun district on Tuesday were not convinced when they found an alleged robber hiding in his own bathroom, claiming he just needed some privacy. They said the man had done some hiding earlier, secretly stashing himself in a woman’s house while she was out, only to pop out when she returned, threaten her with a knife and force her to hand over $500. The woman reported the crime to police, who had no qualms coming into the accused’s washroom. The suspect said he was an addict and had stolen the money to buy drugs. Nokorwat

Metal head behind bars for construction heist

A scrappy 32-year-old was arrested on Sunday for stealing a three-metre-long piece of metal from a construction site in the capital’s Meanchey district. Police said the man had entered the site at night and was hauling away his find when a security guard caught him and turned him over to police. The suspect said he had tried to steal the metal because he was homeless and jobless and needed money for food. Rasmey Kampuchea

New Year’s Day crash leaves two in hospital

It was an unpleasant beginning to the year for two men who crashed their motorbikes into each other at a crossroads in Phnom Penh’s Chamkarmon district on Tuesday. The victims, aged 20 and 23, received injuries to their heads and bodies, and were sent to a local clinic for treatment. Police took their bikes into custody. Deum Ampil

Translated by Phak Seangly