Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Takeo police nab 20, destroy 4,000 marijuana plants

Takeo police nab 20, destroy 4,000 marijuana plants

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
The anti-drug department in Takeo province had raided six locations growing marijuana and burned more than 4,000 plants in a two-day operation in Kiri Vong district’s Prey Ampoak and Preah Bat Chonchum communes. POLICE

Takeo police nab 20, destroy 4,000 marijuana plants

Anti-drug police reported on April 19 that the anti-drug department in Takeo had successfully raided six locations growing marijuana and burned more than 4,000 plants.

Vong Sokchea, acting chief of the anti-drug office at Takeo provincial police station told The Post that the operation took place over two days from April 17-18. The raids were in conjunction with the military police of Prey Ampoak and Preah Bat Chonchum communes, Kiri Vong district.

“For the past three days, our forces have found and burned 4,285 plants. Also, eight water containers used to irrigate the crops were destroyed,” he added.

Sokchea said during the first day of the operation, police investigated a location in Preah Bat Chonchum commune and seized 535 marijuana plants growing on 132sqm in the Thma Sangkran area.

The next day, authorities searched the Prey Ampoak area and found 3,750 marijuana plants which were planted at four locations.

The report said authorities detained 20 suspects for marijuana trafficking and planting. Their cases have already been sent to prosecutors.

“We detained the suspects for illegal marijuana planting, which still happens in Preah Bat Chonchum and Prey Ampoak communes. These two communes are located near ponds and many small mountains near the Cambodia-Vietnam border,” Sokchea said.

Prey Ampoak commune police chief Nhang Sang told The Post that people in Prey Ampoak commune do not generally farm but they like to fish, hunt, and grow marijuana like their ancestors.

From 1980 until 1990, the people in this commune grew marijuana in exchange for rice and other materials. However, the government considered marijuana plants addictive and banned them.

Some villagers migrated to become construction workers or factory workers in different parts of the Kingdom. Some people still continue to grow marijuana plants near the mountains and ponds which are far from their villages to hide from authorities, he added.

“If we only check their farms in their villages, we would not find marijuana plants because they do not plant with other crops like before. Therefore, authorities rarely find and the suspects who grow the plants,” he said.

MOST VIEWED

  • Joy as Koh Ker Temple registered by UNESCO

    Cambodia's Koh Ker Temple archaeological site has been officially added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List, during the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on September 17. The ancient temple, also known as Lingapura or Chok Gargyar, is located in

  • Ream base allegations must end, urges official

    A senior government official urges an end to the allegations and suspicions surrounding the development of Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, now that Prime Minister Hun Manet has addressed the issue on the floor of the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78). Jean-Francois Tain, a geopolitical

  • Cambodia set to celebrate Koh Ker UNESCO listing

    To celebrate the inscription of the Koh Ker archaeological site on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, the Ministry of Cults and Religion has appealed to pagodas and places of worship to celebrate the achievement by ringing bells, shaking rattles and banging gongs on September 20. Venerable

  • CP denied registration documents by ministry

    The Ministry of Interior will not reissue registration documents to the Candlelight Party (CP). Following a September 21 meeting between ministry secretary of state Bun Honn and CP representatives, the ministry cited the fact that there is no relevant law which would authorise it to do

  • Cambodian diaspora laud Manet’s UN Assembly visit

    Members of the Cambodian diaspora are rallying in support of Prime Minister Hun Manet’s forthcoming visit to the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78) in the US’ New York City this week. Their move is an apparent response to a recent call by self-exiled former

  • After three deferrals, Capital Gains Tax to take effect Jan 1, 2024

    The General Department of Taxation (GDT) will implement the Capital Gains Tax starting January 1, 2024 to after being deferred three times as industrial players warn that the implementation might have some negative impact on the property market growth, which is down due to the economic downturn.