Police in Svay Rieng province’s Bavet town on Saturday night arrested two Vietnamese nationals for allegedly faking a kidnapping in order to obtain a ransom from the mother of one of the suspects, police said yesterday.

Bavet commune police chief Phin Phearom said authorities had arrested Hay Vang Thay, 23, who had allegedly posed as a kidnapper, and Ngveang Minh Chi, 27, who had allegedly posed as the victim in an effort to secure a 100 million-dong ransom (about $4,400) from his mother.

“We arrested them in front of the Galaxy Casino when they came to get the money after we tricked them into coming to pick it up,” Phearom said. “The ‘victim’ wanted to cheat his mother into thinking that he had been kidnapped after he lost his money gambling.”

“According to the victim’s confession, he lied to his mother, saying he had been kidnapped and they had demanded 100 million dong,” Phearom added, noting that the victim had arrived last week.

Tep Phalla, Svay Rieng Provincial Court administrator, said yesterday that the court prosecutor “is still questioning them”.