An assistant to RCAF’s Cabinet of General Command and his wife have been arrested by anti-drug police for their alleged involvement in trafficking in the capital, a senior police official said yesterday.

General Khieu Saman, director of the Anti-Drug Department of the Ministry of Interior, said that Major Oung Thavry, 45, and his wife, Chhom Chantheary, 32, were arrested in a Tuesday night raid on their rental house in Dangkor district’s Choam Chao commune.

According to Khieu Saman, the raid was the result of a months-long investigation into Oung Thavry’s activities.

“They were arrested by our police forces while they were distributing drugs to other drug suspects in their house,” he told the Post. “Three other drug suspects successfully escaped from the house during the raid.”

Police recovered a package of heroin, a bag of marijuana, hundreds of ecstasy and methamphetamine pills and other drug-related materials from the suspects’ home.

“We now are working hard in seeking the arrest of the other remaining suspects who escaped from the house during the raid,” said Khieu Saman. “We already know their identities.”

He declined to reveal the names of the other suspects.

Oung Thavry and his wife are now being detained for questioning and further investigation at the Ministry of Interior, authorities say.

They will be sent to court on Tuesday to be officially charged.

Neither the suspects, nor Ministry of National Defence spokespeople, could be reached for comment.

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