The deputy chief of the Ratanakkiri anti-drug office, Sok Sen Chamrong, said on Tuesday that an investigating judge has charged two Vietnamese women with drug trafficking under Article 33 of law on drug control. They were identified as Pov Hak, 55, and Vin Thinhong, 47.

If found guilty, the Ratanakkiri Provincial Court could sentence the two to up to five years in jail and fine of up to 10 million riel ($2,423).

Meanwhile, two Cambodian women who were suspected of drug use were also released by the court.

“The court has released a 14-year-old girl after her urine was tested negative of drug use. The court has also released another Cambodian, 25, on bail,” he said.

He said the police conducted a thorough investigation over several days before making the arrests on March 15, in the province’s Chey Chumnas village, Laban Siek commune, in Banlung town.

“We found and confiscated some evidence from the accused, including a package of methamphetamine weighing 3.76g, a scale, four mobile phones and other drug paraphernalia.

Meanwhile, in a separate case, Phnom Penh municipal police arrested two men on Sunday after finding 21 small and one large bag of drugs in Meanchey district.

An official said police set up a routine traffic law enforcement checkpoint on the Tuol Roka village stretch of Hun Sen Boulevard, near the Chak Angre Krom commune.

“We stopped lots of motorbikes and cars. The drugs in question were found in one of the cars we stopped, so we detained the two men in the vehicle.

“The suspects are a 42-year-old Cambodian, who is an online seller, and a 42-year-old Thai-American man. Both tested positive for drug use. We also seized their car, two mobile phones, passports and some other related items,” he said.

District police chief Meng Vimeandara declined to comment, claiming that he was too busy at a meeting.