PHNOM Penh Municipal Court yesterday convicted three men, including a former Prey Sar prison official, to seven-month jail terms after finding them guilty of drug dealing, according to a verdict read out by presiding judge Ker Sakhorn.

Mak Kongkea, 24, was arrested on July 30 in Daun Penh district’s Boeung Keng Kang III commune while he was attempting to pass about one gram of methamphetamine to a pair, identified only as Vuthy and Theara, at the request of 37-year-old prison official Sum Sovath. The pair were still at large, police said.

Mak Kongkea’s initial arrest lead to the arrests of Sum Sovath, who worked as a Prey Sar prison official for nearly 20 years, and his flatmate 18-year-old Voa Dara.

A search of Sum Savuth’s rental house in the city’s Meanchey district also uncovered an additional five grams of methamphetamine and devices for using the drug.

Ker Sakhorn also ordered the defendants to pay a fine of 1 million riel (US$250) each and said authorities would track the fugitive suspects.

Deputy court prosecutor Kry Sok Y said he was happy with the verdict and “applauded” the court’s decision to hunt for  the remaining suspects.