Battambang provincial Military Police on Tuesday arrested three suspects in possession of more than 16kg of illegal drugs, including crystal methamphetamine, known as “ice”, and “yaba” pills.

Military Police justice department director To Dy told The Post on Wednesday that the suspects – Tat Kiri, 28, Chhuon Mary, 25, and Pum Sorn, 60 – lived in Svay Por commune’s Kamakor village.

“Before arresting the suspects, the team had monitored and investigated for many months already,” he said.

During primary interrogation, Dy said, the suspects admitted the drugs were ordered by a person online, but they did not say who.

“At the moment, authorities are working on the case in order to find their accomplices,” he said.

Dy said the suspects were arrested in Battambang city’s Wat Kor commune.

The authorities, he said, found packets containing a combined 306.46g of narcotics.

Military Police, assisted by the provincial prosecutor, then checked their houses in Kamakor village and found another 9.7kg of ice and 6.1kg of yaba pills.

Earlier this month, Siem Reap authorities arrested five foreigners, two of whom were Romanian nationals, in possession of 6kg of drugs.

Separately, a Lao national carrying 1kg of drugs was detained by Stung Treng anti-drugs police.

Minister of Interior Sar Kheng on Wednesday said the authorities had seized around 500kg of narcotics last year.

He called on authorities to tackle illegal drug use and trafficking, especially among young Cambodians.

Sar Kheng said some governments exercised tough measures against drug users and traffickers, for example by deploying armed forces to shoot and kill perpetrators.

“We do not want to see such a situation in the Kingdom. Therefore, we need to educate people, especially our youth, to quit consuming drug and work together to prevent it,” he said.