Three men were sentenced to 12 years in prison at Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday for attempting to sell more than 300 grams of methamphetamine to undercover police officers near a market in Por Sen Chey district in December.

Presiding judge Chuon Soreasy also slapped defendants Um Vanna, 44, Him Sothea, 41, and Mak Kimleang, 31 – charged with trafficking under Article 40 of the Kingdom’s Anti-Drug Law - with fines of 20 million riel (about $5,000) each.

According to police, the three were arrested on December 7 after meeting an undercover officer in his car near Kakab commune’s Century Market with 313 grams of meth.

The three defendants declined to make comments after their hearing yesterday, but at trial they claimed they had been “cheated” by another trafficker known as Huoth, or Rith – who they said is still at large – into delivering the drugs to the undercover officer in exchange for $100 each.