Drugs bust

Eight people were charged with drug production, drug trafficking and drug use at Preah Sihanouk provincial court yesterday, after police raided the Happy Hippi guesthouse in Sihanoukville on Monday.

Deputy provincial prosecutor Ream Chanmony said yesterday that military police raided the Happy Hippi guesthouse on Monday night.

The Australian owner, his Vietnamese wife, a female Cambodian employee, two Russian men, one Swedish man, one Canadian man and one American man were arrested.

“I have charged all of them with drug production, drug trafficking and providing a place for drug use and I decided to detain them for further investigation,” Ream Chanmony said yesterday.”It is difficult for me and I need some time because I have no translators to interpret for them.”

The website for the Happy Hippi advertises pictures of marijuana and ”home-made” drugs and is adorned with a logo of a smoking smiley face.

Ream Chanmony added that authorities had checked rooms during the raid and found a range of drugs and drug production materials.