Siem Reap provincial police sent 14 people to court and 34 others to a rehabilitation centre on Wednesday after they were arrested for drug crimes on Monday in Wat Svay village, in Siem Reap town’s Sala Kamroeuk commune.
Provincial deputy police chief Oum Amara said the police arrested a total of 48 people for their involvement in drug crimes.
After questioning them and conducting drug tests, he said, it was ascertained that only 14 of the suspects had dealt drugs, while 34 others were drug users.
Amara said the 14 confessed that they were drug dealers, and had sold illegal substances to some of the 34 users and other people in the town.
“They were divided into two groups of drug dealers and users. The drug dealers were sent to court on Wednesday afternoon,” he said.
Police seized 20 packets of methamphetamine powder weighing 4g, plus other drug paraphernalia.
According to the National Police website, all 48 suspects underwent urine testing, with 46 testing positive for illegal substances.
It said the two who tested negative had driven their motorbikes to the scene to buy drugs.
In a separate case on Tuesday, Kampong Chhnang provincial police apprehended five youths and a 28-year-old man for trafficking or illegal use of drugs in Kampong Chhnang town.
The National Police website said three of the youths were 16 years old and two were 17.
The police seized nine packets of methamphetamine, a mobile phone and two motorbikes, the website said.
On Tuesday alone, police cracked down on 37 drug cases and arrested 69 people, including three women, in Phnom Penh and Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kampong Speu and Svay Rieng provinces.
Of the 69 suspects, 33 were suspected drug dealers and 36 others were users.
Police confiscated 86.78g of crystal methamphetamine, known as “ice” and six small packets of unidentified drugs.
