A smuggler was stopped from surreptitiously taking bottled water over the Thai border yesterday, but claimed he was only arrested when he refused to pay off the border patrol.

The man, who was trying to enter Koh Kong province, told officials he was only bringing over a measly 20 bottles of water. Border police, however, said they had excused the illegal transporter too many times.

The man then cried bribery and made quite a scene until police came to calm the situation.

ANN