In another case involving the trafficking of men for labor, the Phnom Penh Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection (AHTJP) Police, supported by AIM SWAT officers, arrested 1 man on Monday, December 4th. The man is suspected of trafficking men onto a fishing boat where they were forced to work for up to 24 hours per day under horrendous conditions. These men received little pay and frequent beatings by the owner and captain of the boat.
A group of 13 men managed to escape while the boat was moored off the coast of Africa. Through assistance with a local embassy, all of the men were returned safely to Cambodia and subsequently made complaints to AHTJP Police about what had happened. AHTJPP requested AIM SWAT’s assistance with the investigation.
Following several days at a Thai border province, the suspect was located and arrested. During an interview, the suspect admitted to recruiting the men to work on the fishing boat, charging around $150 for each victim, under the promise of good jobs with good conditions. He was subsequently charged with human trafficking related offenses and remanded to prison to await trial.
