Eight mainland Chin-ese will face drug trafficking charges at Phnom Penh Municipal Court today in the wake of a large-scale bust conducted last week at a guest house in Phnom Penh’s Prampi Makara district. A ninth compatriot faced the judge on Friday.

Khen Sovann, deputy commander of Phnom Penh’s Municipal Military Police, told the Post yesterday that the anti-drug outfit seized 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamines, one gram of heroin, one gram of cannabis, two luxury Lexus vehicles, one motorbike and a handgun.

“It was the largest raid conducted by military police in Phnom Penh, and according to the evidence collected from the suspects, one was charged with drug distribution and eight were charged with drug trafficking,” said Sovann, adding that two of the suspected drug traffickers are female.

“We sent one suspect to the court today and another eight will be sent on Monday,” he said, adding that the military police had laid the groundwork for the drug bust in Beoung Pralit commune with a

two-month investigation.

Major General Khieu Samorn, who is also general secretary of the Ministry of Interior’s National Authority for Combating Drugs, said Sunday that police had cracked down on 452 cases of drug distribution, trafficking and production this year through September. In the same period last year, there were only 145 cases, he said.

Methamphetamine pills were the most common drug seized, with more than 150,000 pills seized so far this year. In comparison, police have seized fewer than 1,400 ecstasy pills.