Cops clean up on moto polishing/theft scam

Two phony motorbike cleaners played a dirty trick on an unsuspecting moto owner in the capital on Sunday. Posing as polishers, the two men invited their victim to have his wheels scrubbed in Sen Sok district, only to flee to Takeo when his back was turned, leaving the poor man in the dust. Police tracked the pair down, arresting them on Tuesday. The duo confessed and their names – at least in moto-cleaning circles – are now mud. KAMPUCHEA THMEY

Laden with booty, thief runs into arms of police

Police on patrol in Banteay Meanchey must have thought they had it too easy on Tuesday when a burglar more or less did their work for them. The officers, who were cruising the streets of Malai district, couldn’t believe their eyes when the man, 20, ran past them with the spoils of a burglary: jewellery, two mobile phones and a wad of cash. The officers detained him for questioning – during which he claimed the items were his own – a story that might have stuck had his victim not reported the stolen items missing. KOH SANTEPHEAP

Rock hurler gets wish, taken into custody

Continuing the theme of criminals all but arresting themselves, a 20-year-old woman caught the attention of authorities while hurling rocks at passing motorists from a roadside in the capital on Tuesday. Witnesses reported seeing the amateur shot-putter firing projectiles at motorbikes and cars in Chamkarmon district and alerted police. After the woman had claimed a few victims, police apprehended her. As it turned out, that was what she had been aiming for – excuse the pun. Police believed the woman was either suffering from a mental illness or had drug issues. KAMPUCHEA THMEY

Hit-and-run driver on lam after injuring two

Police are hunting for a speeding driver who seriously injured two garment workers when he crashed his car into their motorbike in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district on Tuesday. Witnesses to the crash said the driver of the car was speeding when he caromed into the garment workers as they rode home. Police arrived too late to arrest the driver, who remains on the run. DEUM AMPIL

Husband bites wife in drunken rampage

A woman was seriously injured after she was beaten and bitten by her husband in Phnom Penh’s Dangkor district on Tuesday, police said. The man, known for hitting the bottle to the extreme, had a track record of domestic violence and often beat his wife and daughter, officers said. In this case, he had left his wife bruised and battered. Unable to bear any more, she escaped and alerted police. The man is now on the run. DEUM AMPIL

Translated by Sen David