Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - NACD records ‘slight’ decrease in drug crimes compared to last year

NACD records ‘slight’ decrease in drug crimes compared to last year

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
A Chinese driver was arrested with nearly 10Kg of drug in Phnom Penh's Daun Penh District on June 3, 2019. Supplied

NACD records ‘slight’ decrease in drug crimes compared to last year

The authorities have conducted 2,425 drug raids across the country this year, detaining 7,294 dealers and users, including 562 women and 167 foreigners, an anti-drugs official said.

Meas Virith, the secretary-general of the National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD) at the Ministry of Interior, told The Post on Wednesday that there were 2,100 cases of dealing drugs in which 3,973 people were detained.

He said there were 15 cases of drug manufacturing, with four people detained and sent to court, while in 1,310 cases where people were in possession of drugs, 3,321 of them were ordered to receive treatment.

“They were forced by the prosecutor to go get treatment. If after leaving the treatment centre they carry on using drugs, they will be punished with jail terms of between six months and one year,” Virith said.

He said there had been a slight decrease in drug crimes compared to the same period last year, but that the authorities would continue to find offenders as people are becoming more willing to tip off the police.

Virith said on June 13, the Ministry of Interior would hold a meeting to lay out further measures to clamp down on drugs at entertainment clubs. This followed Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng’s March 19 order to conduct more of such raids.

Sar Kheng urged the authorities to take tougher measures against the owners of entertainment venues, hotels and guesthouses in order to prevent drug use and distribution.

He said drugs have become a heated issue because they had spread from Phnom Penh to the provinces.

Sar Kheng expressed hope that over the next two years, combating the spread of drugs would become a strategic duty of the authorities to minimise or eradicate their use and availability.

Rights group Adhoc spokesperson Soeung Sen Karuna commended the plan to eliminate drugs at entertainment locations, because previous campaigns had failed to achieve their goal – especially among the powerful ringleaders who import and distribute drugs.

“We hope the new strategy and measures will improve the situation and get it back on the right track, especially by targeting the ringleaders,” Sen Karuna said.

He said he is convinced of the government’s commitment to eliminating drug distribution and use in the near future, but pointed out that in the past, there had been a stated commitment to stamp out illegal logging, but forests were still being devastated.

MOST VIEWED

  • 12th Cambodia int’l film festival to see return of Hollywood star

    Phnom Penh is set to come alive with the magic of cinema as the highly anticipated 12th Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) takes centre stage. Boasting an impressive line-up of 188 films from 23 countries, including captivating shorts, feature films, documentaries and animation, the festival promises an

  • Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter

    Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was

  • Brawl marrs football final as Indonesian take gold in seven goal thriller

    The Indonesian men's U22 men national football team were crowned champions of the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia, defeating Thailand 5-2 in extra time on May 16 at Olympic National Stadium in Phnom Penh. The match was marred by an ugly incident that occured in the 91

  • 1.4 billion dollar Phnom Penh-Bavet expressway due in four years

    The Government, through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, has officially signed a public-private partnership agreement with a private company for the construction of a Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway project that will connect the capital to Svay Rieng province. The budget for the project is

  • Fresh Covid warnings as Thai hospital fills

    A senior health official reminds the public to remain vigilant, as neighbouring countries experience an increase in Covid-19 cases, with the latest surge appearing to be a result of the Omicron XBB.1.5 sub-variant. Or Vandine, secretary of state and spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health,

  • New Law on Taxation comes into effect

    Cambodia has enacted the eagerly-awaited new Law on Taxation, which aims to improve the national tax regime’s compliance with present and future international standards and economic conditions; encourage accountability, effectiveness and transparency in the collection process; and promote investment in the Kingdom. King Norodom