Officials said the digging in Pursat province’s Krakor district damaged land that is preserved as a national cultural wealth. Police
Krakor district police chief Em Ron said a married couple was taken into police custody in Pursat province for illegally digging for ancient objects.
The amateur archaeologists were detained for digging at Point Tumneap Takol in Ansar Chambak commune’s Arong Pruoch village in the district.
“Upon detaining this couple the police seized a metal detector, three shovels and a motorcycle,” he said.
He said the arrests were made when the couple took the detector to dig at Point Tumneap Takol to search for objects. The digging damaged land that is preserved as a national cultural wealth.
Ansar Chambak commune chief Sovath Thy told The Post on Thursday that the land had been excavated previously by some people. While the couple were digging out the soil, security guards and officials from the cultural department in the province arrested them.
“When officials of the cultural department and security guards saw their activities, they reported it to the Ansar Chambak commune police. My officers brought them in,” he said.
The husband was said to be 52 years old and his wife 41.
They came from Kraya commune’s Dei Thmei village in Kampong Thom province’s Santuk district to stay in Trapaing Chan commune’s Kbal Damrei village in Kampong Chhnang province’s Boribor district and look for objects, Thy said.
