Twenty-five migrant workers who claim they were duped out of hundreds of dollars by a Phnom Penh-based recruitment agency promising jobs in Thailand were repatriated yesterday after being arrested and detained by Thai authorities.

Sin Nang Young, commune chief of Banteay Meanchey province’s Poipet town – where the workers arrived yesterday – said the 25 men and women had been tricked by Best Power Co Ltd.

Best Power “ordered them to pay money to find them jobs in Thailand. But when they arrived, there were no jobs and they were arrested by Thai authorities,” she said, adding that the group had been detained for a day before being deported.

One of the workers, 27-year-old Sor Van, said the group paid $300 each on the promise of jobs in a Thai chicken factory.

“I wanted to work in Thailand and I chose the company to organise it legally,” he said.

Another worker, Sim Chan, said the 25 were arrested because the company had held onto their passports. Contact details for Best Power could not be found.