Police detained 71 young people, including two females, while they were gathering for a brawl in Phnom Penh Thmei commune of the capital’s Sen Sok district. More than 10 swords were recovered at the scene, along with several knives.

Deputy district police chief Van Sareth said officers arrested the youngsters, aged 16 to 20, in the early hours of May 8 and were working to identify the owners of the weapons.

“Those who are were not the owners of these weapons will be reprimanded and their parents will be made to sign contracts guaranteeing their future behaviour,” he said.

“They are not one group. According to their statements, the group whom the police rounded up were prepared to fight with each other, but our officers stopped them before fighting began,” he said.

Commune police chief Chhim Saven said on May 8 that officers were patrolling the localities when they saw the gangs gathering for a brawl.

He said gangs had fought in the district before, which is why police regularly patrolled the localities.