Two Chinese men and two Cambodian women were convicted and sentenced yesterday by Phnom Penh Municipal Court to seven months each in prison for attempting to sell two Cambodian women to Chinese husbands in February. They were also fined $1,000 each.

Judge Keo Mony said Zu Zhisheng, 39, Xu Jing, 34, Lam Na, 45, and Sok Bora, 25, had conspired to send the women, aged 20 and 24, to China.

They were charged with attempting the act of “selling, buying or exchanging a person with purpose”.

“Zu Zhisheng and Lam Na were arrested by our police at Phnom Penh International Airport while they were bringing the victims to the airport in preparation [to go] to China,” said Major Phat Phalla, deputy chief of the Municipal Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Unit, adding that the two other suspects were picked up later that day.

Lawyers for the accused could not be reached for comment yesterday.