Kandal provincial police on Thursday sent three Chinese nationals to the provincial court for allegedly torturing and killing a fellow countryman over an unpaid debt.

On Wednesday, Ang Snuol district police posted an update about the case on Facebook, noting that they arrested suspects Song Weiguang, 35, Bi Chunnian, 58, and Jia Haiping on Wednesday for torturing and killing victim Liu Janping. They also seized handcuffs and five cars.

“According to the answers from the suspects, they found the victim on Tuesday at a factory selling electronic devices in Ang Snuol district.

“The suspects went inside and told the victim to pay the $160,000 that the victim owed for purchasing electronic materials. But the victim refused to pay and then it turned violent.

“They tied the hands of the victim, put him in the back of a car and began transporting him to the Ministry of Interior. But when they arrived at Phnom Penh International Airport, the rope on the victim’s hands broke.

“Bi then pacified the victim, pressing his hand over his mouth and down on his chest, leading to his death,” the Facebook post said.

Kandal provincial police serious crime office head Chao Vuthy said on Thursday that another Chinese national had witnessed the incident and reported it to the police.

He said the suspects were bringing the victim to the Ministry of Interior to seek police intervention over the debt.

He said there were bruises on many parts of the victim’s body, including two broken teeth. He said police concluded that the victim died of suffocation and torture.

Vuthy said the suspects were sent to court on Thursday but it had not yet pressed any charges.