Eight Nigerian nationals and one Cambodian woman were charged yesterday with possessing nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine powder that was intended for sale around Phnom Penh, according to officials.

“They now have been sent to Prey Sar Prison,” said Keo Socheat, deputy prosecutor at the court. The suspects were arrested last Thursday and Friday in the capital’s Chamkarmon district.

A tenth suspect, another Cambodian woman, was also initially arrested, but was released yesterday with no charges as “she was not related” to the case, police said.

During the raid on the suspects’ rental houses, police seized a total of six packages of methamphetamine powder as well as related drug paraphernalia.

The drugs weighed just under a kilogram, according to Khieu Saman, chief of the anti-drug department at the Ministry of Interior. If convicted, those charged could face more than 10 years imprisonment.

Neither the suspects nor their lawyers could be reached.