A 14-year-old boy was detained in Phnom Penh’s Tuol Kork district yesterday after being arrested for allegedly delivering methamphetamines, with authorities claiming he was being used as a mule for a larger dealer.

Sok Heng, Tuol Kork deputy district police chief, said that his forces arrested the teen at about 3pm while he was allegedly in the process of delivering 37 packets of crystal meth.

“He was arrested for drug trafficking because he planned to sell the drugs,” Heng said.

“We stopped him after he raised our suspicions. Then we checked him and found the drugs .m. In our district there are many cases of children being used to distribute drugs,” Heng added, noting that the boy appeared to be homeless and that officials would make a report and sent him to court.

Meas Vyrith, of the National Authority for Combating Drugs, vowed that whoever roped the boy into the delivery would be charged with forced child labour and drug trafficking. “Drug traffickers use children because they think they can avoid responsibility and legal punishment.”

Officials could not say whether the boy would face charges, but he is old enough to be held criminally liable.