On the afternoon of the 12th, Kep provincial military police transferred a 36-year-old Chinese national named Wu Yanwei to the provincial court. He was locked up after allegedly brandishing and firing a gun illegally in Kep City.
The incident went down around 3:30 PM on the 9th. Authorities were running an operation near the curve by the Elephant Roundabout in Kep City when they intercepted a black Jeep bearing Phnom Penh license plate 2BT-2733.
There were five people inside the vehicle at the time: three Chinese nationals and two Cambodians, including two women. During the vehicle search, officers pulled out six smartphones alongside heavy hardware—a Glock pistol, an M16 rifle, and a modified AK-47. Seeing those weapons laid out on the car would make anyone passing by feel uneasy.
All five individuals were brought back to the provincial military police headquarters for questioning. Following the investigation, authorities determined that four of them had nothing to do with the shooting. With the prosecutor's approval, those four were released. That left only the 36-year-old Chinese man, who was held for illegal possession of firearms and indiscriminate shooting before being sent straight to court to face charges.
This sleepy coastal town is usually peaceful, with roadside stalls selling iced coffee and grilled seafood as moto exhaust mixes with the ocean breeze. But hearing about armed men cruising the streets definitely leaves locals working to make a living feeling a bit jittery.
