A “journalist” and a land broker were arrested in Kandal province yesterday for posing as police and extorting money across four provinces, and will be sent to court today, an official said.

Ang Snuol district deputy police chief Thach Phalla said Nob Bunthim, a 36-year-old reporter for the little known Chean Senchey Daily, and Moeun Sophal, a 38-year-old land broker, were pretending to be police officers from the Ministry of Interior. He said they were arrested while collecting money from a representative of a company building a park.

The pair tried to extort $300 from the construction site and had previously extorted money in Phnom Penh and Kampong Speu and Preah Sihanouk provinces, Phalla said. Both are expected to be charged with extortion and faking national police uniforms, he said.

Information Ministry spokesman Ouk Kimseng said he could not immediately verify if the ministry had issued a press card to Bunthim, or whether his newspaper in fact exists.