Five Chinese and a Vietnamese were arrested with more than 100kg of drugs and manufacturing material seized by the anti-drug department working with the Phnom Penh and Kandal provincial police.
Deputy National Police chief in charge of anti-drug enforcement Mak Chito told The Post on June 1 that Vietnamese national, 35, and five Chinese accomplices aged 24 to 60 were arrested in an operation conducted from May 28-30.
“Police seized 94.3kg of ecstasy, nearly half a kilogramme of methamphetamine along with the ingredient P2P for methamphetamine production, 10.5kg of amphetamines, scales, and a large amount of packaging material,” he said.
Chito said the police also confiscated two cars, four pistols with 22 bullets, two pairs of handcuffs and two mobile phones as evidence.
“The six will face charges of two counts of trafficking, production and storage of drugs and illegal use of weapons, which could see them face up to life in prison,” he said.
He added that the suspects and evidence had been handed over to Kandal provincial police as the investigation and arrests for this case originated in Kandal’s Mok Kampoul district.
Provincial police chief Chhoeun Socheth told The Post that police were preparing a case for referral to the provincial court.
According to a report from the third commission of the Anti-Illegal Drug Campaign, in the first five months of this year the police cracked down on 2,794 drug crimes and arrested 6,369 people including 79 foreigners of eight nationalities.
The report said that during this period, the police confiscated 700kg of drugs, 15,000 fresh marijuana plants, 63kg of dried marijuana, 38 cars, 643 motorcycles, 2,287 mobile phones, 104 scales, two pistols and 18 long weapons, among others.
