Ten staff of the NGO Wildlife and Fishery Protection and Preservation were sent to court on Thursday for using Royal Cambodia Armed Forces (RCAF) number plates, and using their positions to threaten people.

Prey Nop district Military Police in Preah Sihanouk province said the suspects were arrested on Tuesday for the alleged crimes.

Provincial Military Police crime bureau chief Sek Sony on Thursday said the 10 suspects were sent to the provincial court. “I know they are members of an NGO,” he said.

Provincial hall spokesperson Kheang Phearum said provincial military handled the case and he could not comment on it now as it has reached the court.

A former staff member with the NGO on Thursday said it is registered with the Ministry of Interior and had submitted all reports as required by law over the past few years.

However, he said the NGO had become inactive at the beginning of this year because its director was absent. He said this meant that the 10 staff members who were arrested did not have any identification cards.

Prey Nop district deputy military commander Men Vanna, who led the operation to arrest the group, declined to comment.

But a report from the provincial Military Police said the arrest of the 10 suspects was made after it received a tip-off from villagers who said that the NGO staff were using RCAF number plates.

They also claimed that the staff used their NGO positions to threaten villagers.

The report said the suspects were all residents of the province.