The Phnom Penh Municipal Court charged a Singaporean man, 71, and a Cambodian woman, 32, on Wednesday after a drug raid which saw the seizure of 1kg of methamphetamine.

The two were arrested on March 21 at Tonle Bassac commune, in the capital’s Boeung Keng Kang district.

On Wednesday, Anti-Drug Department deputy chief In Song identified the suspects as Kee Beng Hwa and Khieu Srey Touch. They were charged under Article 40 of the Law on Drug Control after being questioned by the prosecutor and a judge.

“Immediately after being charged, they were put in pre-trial detention. If found guilty, they could face life sentences,” Song said.

He said at 9:30pm on March 21, officers from the department raided a rented room near Koh Pich, in Tonle Bassac commune under the authority of Phnom Penh Municipal Court deputy prosecutor, Kuch Kimlong.

He said police also seized 159.08g of dry marijuana and a set of drug-making equipment in the raid. The drugs were to be used locally. Police are working to search for their accomplices.

Kimlong could not be reached for further comment.

However, it is learnt that from January 1 to December 31, last year, 9,806 cases of drugs were cracked down, 20,490 suspects arrested and 750.7kg of drugs were seized apart from other related materials.

A National Police report on Wednesday said 42 suspects including three women were arrested for involvement in 20 drug cases throughout the Kingdom on March 24.