Career
He was arrested at Phnom Penh international airport on 22 January 2005 and sentenced in May 2005 at the age of 16. Two other men, Cambodian-Australian Yin Karat, 26, and Cambodian national Ek Sam Oeun, were arrested at the same time and have been charged with helping to conceal the drugs on Vuong"s body. In July 2005, Yin Karat was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment and Ek Sam Oeun, 10 years.
Vuong"s sentence was of concern to Australian civil liberties groups as a juvenile would never receive a sentence of that length in Australia.
A letter from the AFP to Cambodian authorities dated five days before Vuong"s arrest was detailed in The Bulletin:
Former Federal Minister for Justice and Customs, Senator Chris Ellison denied the tip-off, contradicting the letter"s contents. The Australian Federal Police clarified The Bulletin"s story, providing an explanation that the Cambodian authorities were already investigating Vuong and asked for information from the AFP who cooperated in accordance with Australian guidelines.
Furthermore, the AFP were unable to act on the advice provide by Vuong"s mother as Vuong had already left the country when the advice was received. Vuong is detained in Cambodia"s Prey Sar prison, which is about 20 km from Phnom Penh.
He claims he was blackmailed by the older men, who threatened his family and took his passport.
A prisoner exchange agreement between Australia and Cambodia was signed in October 2005, which may result in Vuong"s eventual repatriation to Australia.
