Seven construction workers are in police custody in Mondulkiri province after allegedly carrying out a home invasion in Keo Seima district, robbing a married couple of jewellery, mobile phones and nearly $30,000 in cash at gunpoint.

At about 10:30pm on Monday, four armed men broke into the home of Pun Phearum, 22, and Sun Sreyleak, 18, Mondulkiri provincial police chief Nherm Vanny said yesterday.

“During an interrogation, Teng Sopheap, one of the suspects, admitted that he carried a plastic pistol,” Vanny said, adding that Sopheap fingered an accomplice as having carried a real gun.

“He added that all of them were recruited by their construction foreman, who devised the robbery plan.”

Phearum was stabbed in the forearm and pistol-whipped during the robbery, Vanny said.

He was forced to bring the burglars gold, platinum, three mobile phones and cash in several denominations, which added up to about $27,900.

The four men who Phearum and Sreyleak saw wore masks, Vanny said. But Phearum pulled the mask off of Teng Pheap, enabling him see his face.

Another three men are being questioned as potential accomplices.