A 30-year-old man was arrested early on Wednesday morning in Phnom Penh’s Dangkor district after he allegedly broke into the property of Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh, police officials said.

Suon Voeurn, one of Cham Prasidh’s bodyguards, said yesterday that the man initially broke in on Monday night by cutting barbed wire with a pair of pliers and was able to steal a few mobile phones belonging to the guards on the property before escaping.

Suon Voeurn said the burglar returned on Wednesday night and attempted to steal property from inside Cham Prasidh’s mansion, but the bodyguards fired their guns into the air to threaten the burglar and managed to detain him until Dangkor district police arrested him at about 12:30am.

“The burglar cut the barbed wire on the north [side of the property] as the mansion guards were on a break and stole their phones, but was apprehended in an attempt to commit the thievery for the second time,” he said.

Dangkor district police chief Born Sam Ath said three screw-drivers, two pliers and a plastic tube were confiscated from the suspect.

He added that a female garment worker was also brought in for questioning after she used a stolen mobile phone that was thought to have been discarded by the man, but police released her after finding that she was not involved in the robbery.

“We will send the man to Phnom Penh municipal court for sentencing, while the woman was released because she made no mistake,” he said.