Border police in Tbong Khmum’s Memot district near the Cambodian-Vietnamese border seized more than 900 cases of top-shelf booze on Sunday after a truck tried to smuggle in a large chunk without paying tax, police confirmed yesterday.
Tbong Khmum provincial police chief Mao Pov said that customs officials discovered the smuggled goods in the truck in Choam Kravien commune on Sunday. In all, there were about 970 cases of alcohol, including high-end brands such as Macallan Scotch, many of which lacked proper tags.
“After the crackdown, the driver, the two workers, the goods and the truck were handed over to officials at the customs office on Monday after it was determined more than 300 cases of the [alcohol] had not been taxed,” he said.
Kong Vichet, the provincial economic police director, said that based on paperwork issued in January of last year by Ouk Sakuna, director of Koh Kong’s Customs Office, the contraband belonged to Kim Ya Leaksmey, owner of Kim Leaksmey Enterprise Export and Import company.
He added that the driver of the goods truck was identified as Buon Borin, 29, an employee of the company.
“Only 600 cases had legal tax stamps,” he said. “The rest were smuggled goods.”
