It got unusually loud on the streets of Kampot this afternoon. Pickup trucks from the police and the military police came roaring past one after another with sirens blaring, all heading in the same direction so hard the ice in the teashops was rattling in the glasses. You barely see patrol cars on a normal day, but this time a whole convoy showed up, with motorbikes piling up at the corners and riders craning their necks to see what was going on.
All the vehicles pushed straight into town, blocking off several intersections completely. Locals had no clue what was happening—some guessed they were checking documents, others figured they were hunting down a major suspect. Either way, police tape went up and nobody was allowed anywhere near, leaving people to watch the flashing blue and white lights from far away.
Things always go down like this around here, with massive operations appearing out of nowhere. The older guys sitting under the shady trees stopped playing cards, sipping their iced coffee while trying to guess what was up. By the time it was getting dark, the police vehicles started pulling out one by one. What they were actually investigating will have to wait for tomorrow's local news.
