The manager of a recruitment firm in Kampong Speu province was arrested this week for allegedly duping 50 workers out of $150 each on the unfulfilled promise of getting them work in Thailand.

Som Bora, Kampong Speu deputy police chief, said police arrested 41-year-old Mok Saron, a branch manager of recruitment firm STC Manager, after receiving complaints from his alleged victims.

Since last year, “he has ordered 50 workers to pay $150 to prepare documents … to [legally get them work in] Thailand but they did not get any jobs”, Bora went on to say. Representatives of STC could not be reached.

Elsewhere, in Pailin province, five people filed a complaint yesterday with the local authorities against APTSE & C Cambodia Resource company.

Nhunh Sarin, 36, said the group had paid $300 each in July for the company to obtain legal documents to secure them jobs at a chicken factory in Thailand.

“It’s nearly four months since we paid the company to prepare our documents,” she said.

Nov Vandy, an information officer at the company, was reported in local media as saying that they needed “more time to prepare documents” for the workers.