The Kampong Speu provincial police sent 11 suspected motorbike thieves to the provincial court for questioning on Monday, following their arrests last week.

Serious crimes office chief Sam Sak said the suspects stole motorbikes from multiple victims and were arrested on Thursday and Friday.

“Police already completed the legal procedure and sent them to the court on Monday afternoon. They will face the law based on their actions,” he said.

He said five suspects were arrested on Thursday and six on Friday. He said all the suspects hailed from Kampong Chhnang province and are between 17 to 28 years old.

Sak said police seized four motorbikes, three mobile phones, a sword and three packets of white powder which is believed to be drugs from the first group arrested on Thursday.

On Friday, police arrested the other six suspects and seized six more motorbikes, some of which have already been claimed by victims.

Oudong district police chief Khim Samon said police were informed of the robberies on Thursday when a 50-year-old farmer fell victim in Preah Sre commune.

Samon said the farmer, Lonh Ly, was riding his motorbike along a road in Kbal O village when four people riding two motorbikes nearby began using helmets to hit him. The suspects then took his motorbike and fled.

Ly reported the matter to Samon, who forwarded the case to the Kampong Speu provincial police chief. Provincial police then launched an investigation and quickly arrested the 11 suspects over two days.

Samon also noted that the suspects are all residents of Kampong Chhnang province, where they also carried out robberies, on top of others, committed in Kandal province.

“They had robbed people in many districts and we had to act fast. They are robbers and snatch thieves,” he said.