Four women suspected of being trafficked to China as brides were stopped just as they were preparing to board their flight at the Siem Reap International Airport yesterday.

Deputy provincial anti-trafficking police chief Doung Thavry said police were suspicious of the group, and asked the women the purpose of their journey and their final destination in China. No sooner had they done so, the man accompanying them fled the airport, though police have identified the suspect, she added.

“Right now, we have sent the women to stay at a local NGO,” Thavry said. “It is risky when they go to China without knowing exactly where they’re going.”

The women had been told they were going to China to be married and get jobs, she said.

Moa Yin, a provincial coordinator with Adhoc, said it was lucky the women had been stopped in time, as interventions are more difficult once victims reach their destination.