A Russian national was arrested on Wednesday for alleged drug trafficking and dealing to foreign tourists in Preah Sihanouk province, according to provincial authorities.

Major Ly Rithy, a police officer at Preah Sihanouk’s Anti-Drug Unit, said that 41-year-old Alexander Niko was arrested in a raid on his rented room in Sihanoukville.

“He was the target for drug sellers in Preah Sihanouk,” Rithy explained. “He always brought drugs to sell to foreign tourists at the province’s foreign restaurants or nightclubs in the evenings.” Rithy added that Niko had been living in Cambodia for about two months and that his visa had expired.

He said that after his arrest, police seized five small packages of powdered amphetamines as well as other drug-related paraphernalia.

Niko has been temporarily detained at the provincial police headquarters for further investigation and will be sent to the provincial court for questioning on Friday.

Niko could not be contacted yesterday for comment on the allegations.