Immigrant police are preparing to deport a French man from Cambodia after they arrested him for overstaying his visa and causing a disturbance by destroying property.
Municipal police spokesman San Sok Seiha said on February 24 that the man had been identified as Sebastien Baudry, 43.
He was arrested on February 23 in Chroy Changvar commune of Chroy Changvar district because he was drunk and causing a disturbance by destroying property at his rental home.
He added that after the arrest the immigration police – working with Chroy Changvar district police – checked his rental house and found and seized additional evidence of other criminal activity such as three small packages of marijuana and a homemade rifle. In addition to that, his visa had expired in November 2020.
“The immigration police charged him with illegal overstay, drug possession, possession of an illegal weapon and destruction of property. Now, immigration police are preparing documents in order to expel him from Cambodia,” he said.
The deputy municipal police chief Tith Viseth said that the police had already warned him once before about disturbing the peace and destruction of property in mid-2020.
“Because he is a repeat offender and his visa is now expired, it is necessary that he be deported from Cambodia,” he said.
He added that his department had informed the French Embassy to Cambodia about his case on February 23.
“The French Embassy supports Cambodia’s police and reminds its citizens here to obey Cambodia’s laws,” he confirmed.
The French Embassy declined to comment on the man’s case via Facebook.
Viseth said that the results of a urine test given to Baudry proved that he was under the influence of addictive substances at the time of his arrest.
Police also sent Baudry to the National Institute of Public Health to have him tested for Covid-19 before deportation. He is being detained at the district police station until the test results are returned.
