The Stung Treng Provincial Court on Saturday put a Lao man in pre-trial detention after he was arrested with 7,800 methamphetamine pills.

On Sunday, provincial court spokesman Kim Hongsan said the suspect, Bun Ma, 43, from the Lao capital, Vientiane, was arrested on Thursday by Stung Treng provincial Military Police officials in Samaki commune’s Kham Phan village in Stung Treng town.

He said Bun illegally crossed the border at a checkpoint into Cambodian territory, carrying a bag on his back. Military Police who were patrolling the checkpoint stopped him for an inspection and discovered 7,800 methamphetamine pills on him.

“The suspect was sent to the provincial court on Saturday, and was put in pre-trial detention for smuggling drugs across the border,” he said.

National Military Police spokesman Eng Hy declined to comment on the issue on Sunday.

The National Police report said police cracked down on 10 cases of drug crimes across the Kingdom and arrested 21 persons including two females on Saturday in Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Thom and Siem Reap provinces and the capital. Of the 21, nine of them were drug traffickers and 12 were drug addicts.

Police also confiscated 17.55g of methamphetamine and 16 other small packages.