The Ministry of Interior has clarified the case of missing Australian and Norwegian nationals, saying Cambodian authorities did not arrest or hand them over to Vietnamese authorities.

In a press release issued today, the ministry said the National Police received a request for intervention from the Australian Embassy on September 22, concerning the disappearance of Tran Hiep, an Australian national.

The ministry received information that Nguyen Thuan Duc, Hiep’s travelling companion, a Norwegian national, had been uncontactable since September 18, according to his family.

Following the reports, the National Police ordered a specialised team to conduct a comprehensive search and investigation.

According to data from the General Department of Immigration, Hiep and Duc entered Cambodia from Thailand through Techo International Airport on September 15.

The immigration system showed that neither individual had a record of departing Cambodia, prompting Cambodian authorities to continue their investigation and search.

The ministry said based on information from Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security, which publicly announced on September 28 that three individuals had been detained.

They named the detainees, who included Hiep, Duc, and Thai Cong Troung Son, a Vietnamese national.

According to the Vietnamese authorities, the three were detained at 9.50pm on September 18 at the My Quy Tay border guard station in Tay Ninh province, for allegedly crossing illegally into Vietnam. They were also accused of being members of the Viet Tan organisation and were being held for further investigation.

The ministry categorically denied allegations that Cambodian authorities had arrested and handed over Hiep and Duc to Vietnamese authorities.

The ministry said the clarification was made to inform the national and international public about the case and the findings of the investigation.