A former official for the Ministry of Interior, five Vietnamese nationals and a Cambodian-Australian accused of international drug trafficking and production saw their first round of court proceedings begin yesterday morning in Phnom Penh.

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Presiding Judge Kor Vandy said the group was arrested in April last year, at a house in the capital’s Prampi Makara district, where police allegedly confiscated several packages of drugs and chemicals involved in the production of drugs.

During the hearing, defendant Phat Bunthorn, 38, informed the court that he was an officer at the Ministry of Interior’s department of relations and inspections before his arrest.

He confessed that last April 21, he was helping to transport four packages of drugs to the house in Prampi Makara district. He added that he was given US$3,000 to transport the drugs.

The judge identified the five Vietnamese defendants as Le Giang Minh, Giuong Minh Luong, Ngyeng Thy Hung, Chin My Thuo, Lay Thi My and the Cambodian-Australian defendant as You Bunsay.

Le Gaing Minh confessed yesterday that he was actively producing drugs at the house during the time of his arrest.

Giuong Ming Luong told the court he transported a total of 20 kilogrammes of a chemical powder used in the production of drugs from Vietnam on three separate trips.

The trial resumes on April 10.

To contact the reporter on this story: Lieng Sarith at [email protected]