A prosecutor yesterday appealed for a judge to go easy on three garment workers who allegedly attempted to traffic a female co-worker to China for an arranged marriage, saying the trio was ignorant of the law.

Chor Chhour, 40, his wife, Boeun Soklin, 33, both of Prey Veng province, and Dul Chandy, 26, were arrested on January 24 and charged with cross-border transportation after the complainant in the case, Khoeun Am, was deported back to Cambodia by Chinese authorities.

Giving evidence, Chandy claimed she took Am, her friend and colleague, to see Soklin, a broker, because Am wanted to marry a Chinese man for a “better life”.

Soklin told the court her sister, who lives in China with a Chinese husband and asked her to refer potential brides, sent her $3,000 to facilitate Am’s journey and also put her in contact with two people to organise the documents, which Chhour took his wife to collect.

Chandy also admitted arranging three other women to marry Chinese men.

Prosecutor Um Sopheak maintained they should be charged but asked for leniency because “they did not know that this is actually illegal”.