Rape cases handled by police decreased by 18 per cent in 2012 and general crime dropped slightly, but murders and robberies remain serious issues, Minister of Interior Sar Kheng said yesterday.

Speaking at the National Congress at the Ministry of Interior yesterday, Kheng said general crime had decreased by 6 per cent last year.

“Despite this, robberies and murders continued to frighten people, especially tourists and businesspeople,” he said.

“Besides these concerns, the issues of drugs, cross-border human trafficking, rape and traffic accidents remain challenging and complicated,” he said.

Robberies increased, but reported cases of rape decreased by 18 per cent, from 340 cases in 2011 to 279 cases, according to the data provided.

The Ministry of Interior dealt with 290 murder cases, a figure that climbed from 268 in 2011.

Police handled 624 drug cases, involving 1320 people, including 241 women and 90 foreigners.

One hundred and sixty-eight people were arrested on sex trafficking charges and 75 on other human-trafficking charges.

In 554 cases of “economic” crime that the police cracked down on, only nine people were arrested.

Increased co-operation between all levels of police when it came to combating issues such as drug trafficking, extortion and illegal online gambling proved effective last year, Kheng added.

Pressing issues for police forces this year included preserving safety and order in the lead-up to, and during, July’s National Election, and responding to the International Court of Justice’s decision relating to troops around Preah Vihear Temple near the Thai border.

To contact the reporter on this story: Buth Reaksmey Kongkea at [email protected]