Former anti-drug czar Moek Dara, who is currently being held at Prey Sar prison after being accused of taking bribes and trafficking drugs, was officially replaced as secretary-general of the National Authority for Combating Drugs yesterday.

You Sinlong, an adviser for Prime Minister Hun Sen and deputy secretary general of the National Police at the Ministry of Interior, was appointed to the position in Moek Dara’s place. Speaking to about 500 police officials from across the country at the Ministry of Interior in Phnom Penh, You Sinlong expressed his thanks to Hun Sen, Interior Minister Sar Kheng and NACD head Ke Kim Yan.

“I am the newly appointed secretary general of the NACD and I would like to express my gratitude,” You Sinlong said.

In his speech, You Sinlong  made reference to a new NACD report stating that methamphetamine and heroin were being imported through Cambodia’s northern provinces in addition to Phnom Penh International Airport and Sihanoukville autonomous port. He said the drugs were later exported to Vietnam and Thailand.

However, he nonetheless went on to claim: “We have cracked down on drugs using the right targets and have destroyed the network of drug trafficking in this country.”

“We have found that some government officials were behind drug trafficking operations,” he added.

Former anti-drug czar Moek Dara was arrested in January and is being held ahead of a trial on corruption charges. He has since been stripped of his three-star lieutenant general ranking.