Kampot and Pursat provincial police have cooperated to apprehend a fugitive wanted in connection with the November 18 shooting of two security guards working for the So Nguon Group, one of whom died from the injuries.
Kampot provincial police chief Mao Chanmathurith told The Post that a man identified as Heng Yong, a 57-year-old resident of Chhouk district’s Boeung Nimol commune, was captured on the morning of December 23 by members of the Pursat provincial police force after he had eluded police in Kampot for over a month.
“Currently, the suspect has been brought in from Pursat to the Kampot police station for questioning. The Kampot police will build a case file to be referred to the court for further legal procedures,” he said.
Chanmathurith explained that the suspect is believed to have provided an AK-47 rifle to Suy Thea, an alleged assailant and ringleader of the shooting. Thea has gone into hiding.
Pursat police acted on an arrest warrant dated November 23 from Kampot court Investigating Judge Kaom Kongkea and have charged the suspect with premeditated murder, according to Pursat provincial police chief Sar Theng.
Theng said that on the night of December 22, after receiving news that the suspect was hiding in Pursat, police began a search operation to locate him. On the next morning at 8:30am, officers arrested the suspect in Samrong commune’s Veal village of Phnom Kravanh district.
Following the arrest, the suspect was handed over to the crime bureau of the Kampot police for further action.
On the morning of November 18, two men on duty as security guards were gunned down in Trapaing Phlaing commune’s Prey Peay village of Kampot’s Chhouk district. The shooting left one man dead and another critically injured.
Nuon Pheaktra, 27, died at the scene from a wound to his chest, while 31-year-old Phorn Da sustained injuries to his throat and was taken to the Preah Ang Duong Hospital in Phnom Penh for treatment. He is now recovering at home with his family in Pursat’s Sampov Meas district.
Police have so far arrested three suspects implicated in the shootings. The first two, Nhan Seng, 23, and Sim The, 21, were taken into custody on November 22. They are being held in pre-trial detention in Kampot prison on charges of premeditated murder.
