Police in Ratanakkiri’s Banlung town are searching for two armed robbers caught on camera brandishing what appear to be a gun and beating a petrol station owner with an axe handle before making off with thousands of dollars.

Bun Na, chief of staff of Banlung town police, said that the wife of victim Meas Sovannarith, 35, had told police he rarely kept much money on him, but on the day of the robbery, he was counting out a large sum to repay a business debt, and “lost around $3,000”.

Chhay Thy, provincial coordinator for rights group Adhoc, said that the petrol station was only about 500 metres from the Yeak Loam commune police station, but that police who were usually stationed near the business had left for the day.

“One suspect held the gun, and another used an axe to beat the victim five to six times on the back” with the handle, Thy said. “Then they snatched the bag . . . and fled the scene.”

Thy said that police who had reviewed the security camera footage had told him that the gun in the video didn’t appear to be heavy enough to be genuine.