Three men were arrested in Kampong Speu’s Oral district early yesterday morning for allegedly planting electrified animal traps in the Phnom Oral Wildlife Sanctuary, police said.

Oral district police chief Buth Bunthoeun said that the men had been arrested in the forest, where they had allegedly been observing the traps, waiting for animals to be caught.

“The authorities are preparing a report before sending the suspects to the provincial police station,” he continued.

Bunthoeun identified the suspects as Sean Suon, 37, from Battambang province; Som Koy, 48, from Kampot province; and Chheang Hoeun, 35, from Kampong Speu’s Phnom Sruoch district.

Authorities travelled to O’Sakchar village, where the men were allegedly laying the traps, he added.

“[The suspects] laid metal wire hooked up to a battery that is capable of killing animals and humans; I managed to seize 13 kilograms of metal wire so the animals would be able to escape,” Bunthoeun said.

In the operation, authorities seized three large batteries and 62 stakes used for stringing up the wire traps.