Six foreigners have been charged with drug trafficking offences after a major drug raid at a residence in Phnom Penh’s Russei Keo district on Friday, municipal officials said yesterday.

Laos national Bun Nalot, 36, and Vietnamese nationals Kao Thymeachny, 29, Voeung Thyfin, 43, Reth Narong, 45, Yiek Vietlam, 18, and Yoeng Hayly, 16, were arrested on Friday in Tuol Sangke commune’s Tuol

Kork village after a drug raid by police from the Ministry of Interior’s anti-drug department.

Sok Roeun, deputy prosecutor of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, said the six were charged on Sunday with drug trafficking offences.

“These people were arrested on Friday at Russei Keo’s Tuol Kork village over drug trafficking offences,” said Sok Roeun.

Phnom Penh Municipal deputy police chief Pen Rath, said that during the raid police confiscated 44 packages of yama containing about 88,000 pills, about 3 kilograms of methamphetamine and various drug materials.

“This is another big drug trafficking [operation] which has been cracked down on by our police after a big drug trafficker and his drug-producing sites were found,” said Pen Rath.

He added that since early January about 300 people had been arrested in Phnom Penh and sent to court to face charges in connection with drug trafficking and drug abuse activities.

Khieu Samon, acting director of the Ministry of Interior’s anti-drug department, estimated that the street value of the drugs could be millions of dollars in the United States market.

“This drug trafficking raid, if we calculated it as money there would be a lot of money,” said Khieu Samon.

“Just half of a kilogram of yama costs about $500,000 in US markets and from $50,000 to $60,000 in Cambodian markets.”

In a separate drug raid on Sunday, five people were arrested for drug trafficking offences in Village 37 in Chamkarmon district’s Psar Doeum Thkov commune.

Pen Rath said that the five people arrested were identified as Pao Nhak, 30, Eam Rotha, 27, Sorn Srey Leak, 29, Ban Vimean, 25, and Phea Phirith, 32.

Pen Rath said that police confiscated one package of yama and other drug-related materials during the raid.

“These people will be sent to the court for their charges [today],” he said.