The Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday convicted six men – one a military police officer – of aggravated theft for stealing over 8,000 T-shirts and pairs of pants in a heist on a shipping container bound for the Sihanoukville port last year.

Presiding Judge Sous Sam Ath sentenced National Military Police officer Ear Nath, 49, and Moeng Vuthy, aka Sweth, 22, to four years in prison, while Suth Dina, 49, Khuth Sokheng, 29, and Larch Kimsrun, 28, were each sentenced to three years. Sor Niwat, 17, was given a two-year sentence.

“It is ordered that these six convicted people jointly pay a total of 14 million riel [about $3,500] in damages to the victim,” Sam Ath said.

According to Sam Ath, the shipping container had been on a truck parked outside a customs office in Phnom Penh’s Russei Keo district at shortly after midnight on December 2, 2012.

The defendants broke into the back of the truck and managed to make off with the clothes without waking the driver, who was sleeping in the front.

The men were arrested the same month by the National Military Police based on a complaint from the owner of the container.

The six defendants and their lawyers could not be reached for comment yesterday.