Phnom Penh municipal police arrested 45 people in the early hours of May 19 for gathering to drink alcohol in a nightclub, breaking the capital’s 8pm-3am curfew.

Municipal police spokesman San Sokseyha said officers raided the club in a condominium building along Monivong Boulevard in Boeung Keng Kang district’s Boeung Keng Kang I commune at 12:30am.

"Our officers arrested 45 people including Cambodians, Vietnamese and Chinese. The first step was to bring them to the municipal police station and detain them while waiting for the Ministry of Health to send medical staff to test them for Covid-19.

“Next we will test them for the use of any drugs. We will also make further inquiries regarding the opening of the club," he said.

Sokseyha said that from April 15 to May 19, the municipal authorities had detained 2,143 people for violation of the curfew.

Of those detained, 11 were imprisoned; three were referred to court; 312 were sent to quarantine centres; four were sent to Covid-19 treatment facilities; 371 were issued fines; and 1,442 were released after being educated about the curfew.

He added that the authorities continued to patrol the capital’s colour-coded zones on a regular basis to enforce the curfew.

"During patrol hours there is a nightly movement of law enforcement officers through all districts to ensure the implementation of the curfew and public safety," he said.