Police in Prey Veng province arrested a Vietnamese father and son on Friday for allegedly attempting to smuggle more than 5 kilograms of a powdered drug-producing substance and some 10,000 methamphetamine tablets to Vietnam.

The arrest took place in Preah Sdech district’s Banteay Chakrei commune, according to Keo Remony, provincial deputy anti-drug police chief.

Remony said the suspects Nguyen Yungyoeng, 47, and Nguyen Wangphoc, 21, of Vietnam’s Dong Thap province denied knowledge of the drugs, claiming that a person had simply asked them to send a package from Phnom Penh to Vietnam.

According to Remony, police seized 9,999 tablets and 5.45 kilograms of powder.

He said police would cooperate with Vietnamese authorities to investigate the identity of the alleged buyer in Vietnam.

“The 9,999 tablets are methamphetamine, and the powder is concluded to be an ingredient used to produce drugs but it was not clear [which one].”

“We would have sent the suspect to court [yesterday], but the prosecutor said that it’s Sunday and told us to wait until [Monday],” he said.