Cambodia: Authorities rescue Chinese national kidnapped in Sihanoukville, Dec. 26

Event

Police rescued a kidnapped Chinese national and arrested six suspects in Sihanoukville, Dec. 26. The perpetrators, who are reportedly Chinese and Cambodian nationals, had abducted the victim and demanded USD 3,500 from his girlfriend at around 20:00 Dec. 26. The victim's girlfriend paid USD1,000 but the kidnappers refused to release the individual prompting her to report the matter to the police. The police rescued the victim and arrested the suspects at 20:30 the same day after stopping the kidnapper's car during search operations.

Context

The overall kidnapping threat level in Sihanoukville and Cambodia is moderate. Well-organized, targeted abductions occur infrequently, and kidnappings targeting foreign nationals, unrelated to personal disputes or illicit activity, are uncommon. The recent kidnapping may have been linked to organized crime activity, gambling debts, and/or a business dispute; criminal organizations from China are known to operate in Cambodia.