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Asia-Pacific
Cambodian trafficker arrested after trafficking 11 Cambodians to work in Thailand
PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA – After four years on the run, a Cambodian trafficker was arrested by the Cambodian police after trafficking 11 Cambodians to work for a Thai fishing vessel.
Nai Nang, one of the main brokers, is held accountable after recruiting 11 victims from Kampong Speu and other provinces in 2014 to travel from Phnom Penh to the Cambodia-Thai border and then transported to fishing boats in Thailand.
The victims were forced to work long hours, given only limited food, and physically and mentally abused while working in a Thai vessel. The victims worked on the vessel for more than 10 months without receiving the promised monthly salary.
Thankfully, the victims were rescued, and the Thai police vessel seized the vessel. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) helped in facilitating the repatriation of eight survivors back to Cambodia.
IJM Cambodia worked with the Human Rights Development Foundation (HRDF) in 2017 to work on the case. Among the three courts handling the case against Nai Nang, two were led by IJM Cambodia, including one at the Phnom Penh Municipal First Instance court. The Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Department (AHTJPD) and other partners worked on a different case that led to the issued arrest warrants from a court in Kampong Thom province.
On 16 May 2019, Nai Nang was convicted and sentenced to eight years imprisonment, at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court of First Instance for violating article 11 (unlawful removal for cross-border transfer) of the Law on Suppression of Trafficking & Sexual Exploitation.
In close collaboration between Cambodia National Police and IJM Cambodia, an arrest warrant was obtained from the Phnom Penh Municipal Court of First Instance to arrest and detain Nai Naing.
In September 2019, Nai Nang was arrested by the Thai police in Thailand. However, the Thai court dismissed the case on 15 October 2020 because there was no sufficient evidence to prove his guilt.
In December 2022, Nai Nang was finally arrested by AHTJPD police in Battambang province. Jacob Sims, Field Office Director of IJM Cambodia said,
The Anti-Human Trafficking & Juvenile Protection Police did a great job of never giving up on pursuing Nai Nang on behalf of the victims and the people of Cambodia. We applaud them and encourage them to continue holding all traffickers accountable for their crimes. The victims can now believe in the public justice system to hold perpetrators accountable.”
After five years, the survivors are relieved and grateful after achieving justice and they hope to explore opportunities to provide a better life for their families.
