The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on December 30 questioned nine Chinese men who were arrested for possessing nearly 350kg of drugs in the capital, according to deputy prosecutor and court spokesman Plong Sophal.

The suspects were sent to court on December 29 after their arrest on December 24 for trafficking the drugs in Chbar Ampov and Prampi Makara districts. They were busted in an operation led by the anti-drug department, said its deputy director In Song.

According to the National Police, the operation also involved forces from the Department of External and Technical Intelligence as well as customs officials at Sihanoukville Port and forces from the Phnom Penh municipal police in coordination with municipal court deputy prosecutor Sith Vannak in cooperation with Chinese authorities.

Upon receiving a tip-off, Cambodian police investigated the suspects for more than four months before arresting them. At the same time, Chinese police had also cracked down on criminal gangs involved in the case in China.

In Phnom Penh, police launched the drug bust at two locations – one at a gated community in Chbar Ampov district’s Nirouth commune and the other in Prampi Makara disrict’s Boeung Prolit commune.

The seized items included 347kg of methamphetamine (ICE), 427.99g of drugs hidden in 367 steel tubes and 61 large packets of drugs, two sets of scales, packaging equipment, one car, one motorcycle, 10 mobile phones and $300 in cash, according to National Police.