Yesterday, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court convicted Cambodian nationals Heng Chhon and Sam Na to 15 years imprisonment each for unlawful removal for cross-border transfer. They were both arrested in November 2013 while trying to cross the border to Thailand with a seven-month-old baby and two disabled men who they intended to bring illegally to Malaysia.
The baby would be sold for begging purposes. The two men were promised food and accommodation upon their arrival in Malaysia, but were then surprised by the information that they would have to pay 6 million riels each to Heng Chhon and work as beggars for him.
APLE assisted in the investigation at the request of Cambodian Police, and has been providing social and legal support to the child since she was rescued. This was the second cross-border child trafficking case APLE helped bring to successful prosecution over the last couple of years.
