Hundreds of Cambodian police deployed against robbery in Phnom Penh

PHNOM PENH, Cambodian police authorities has deployed hundreds of police troops to seek the robbers and prevent any cases of robberies, DAP News reported on its website Thursday.

The action was taken after several cases of jewelry and property robberies occurred in past few weeks in Phnom Penh and which have caused some concern among the public, it said.

"We has been deploying our police troops to prevent any cases of robbery and provided safety for people especially jewelry sellers in the city after robbery cases occurred in the past two weeks," Khmer language DAP News quoted Touch Naroth, Phnom Penh police commander, as saying.

"We are also seeking to arrest the robbers and suspected people," he added.

It added that in the past two weeks, there were six cases of gold and other jewelry robberies in the city, and two gold sellers were shot to death. Meanwhile, the robberies caused thousands of U.S. dollars losses for the sellers.

"Our authority have to provide security for people, especially during the Khmer traditional Pchum Ben festival "ancestor guardian spirit ceremony" which will last from Sept. 5 to 19," Phnom Penh governor Ke Chuptema said.

"We have sent our spies and plain clothes police to seek robbers for punishment by law and take actions against it quickly," said Ya Kim Ie, Phnom Penh military chief.