Three Vietnamese nationals were charged with smuggling about half a kilogram of powdered methamphetamine into Svay Rieng’s Chantrea district at the provincial court yesterday.

The suspects were males Vuong Phuoc Hiv, 31, Nguven Thanh Sang, 23, and female Nguven Thi Ngoc Khiev, 28, according to Chantrea district military police deputy chief Major Chan Sarorn.

The three are residents of Binh Phuoc province and Ho Chi Minh City.

“They were charged by the provincial court with drug trafficking under Article 40 of the anti-drug law,” Sarorn said.

“If found guilty, they shall be punished with imprisonment from five to 10 years each.”

Police arrested the trio while they were allegedly smuggling drugs across the Cambodian-Vietnamese border in Svay Rieng to be sold in the province’s casinos.

The Svay Rieng border crossing has long been a prime spot for illegal drug smuggling.

Sarorn added that officers seized a total of three large packages of white methamphetamine powder weighing a total of about 500 grams from the suspects.