Four Chinese nationals will be sent to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court today following their arrest in Poipet town on Friday for allegedly kidnapping a fellow Chinese person for a ransom, according to a statement on the National Police’s website.

An official at the Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh confirmed yesterday that the suspects allegedly demanded the victim’s husband send them some $200,000 after they had gambled away about $300,000, which prompted the victim’s husband to file a complaint with the embassy to ask for assistance. The embassy then reported the crime to police.

They suspects were identified by local media as Sun Tao, 35, Wang Zuchao, 47, Zhu Liulin, 44, and Cheng Aizhen, 62.

“The arrests of the four Chinese nationals, including one woman, came after the serious crime police received a complaint from the victim’s relative saying that the four Chinese nationals had held Chinese national Yang Fang, 24, for ransom,” the National Police statement read.

Banteay Meanchey court prosecutor Meas Chanpiseth said all suspects had been sent to the Ministry of Interior, and declined to further comment.

Chiv Vibol, a police officer in charge of the case, yesterday said the suspects would be sent to court today.