The drug testing campaign among National Police officers, which has resulted in the removal of some from their positions, continues the previous mandate’s commitment to combating drugs.

The new government is persisting in its efforts to prevent these issues from becoming a severe blight and negatively impacting the nation and its citizens.

Touch Sokhak, spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, said the strategy of former Prime Minister Hun Sen required officials involved in various crimes, particularly drug-related ones, to be removed from office. 

He noted that incumbent Prime Minister Hun Manet has intensified anti-drug efforts since taking over from his predecessor last August. 

Interior minister Sar Soka has outlined six key areas of focus, with drug issues being the foremost concern for the ministry.

“According to the principles of the new prime minister, combating various societal crimes and irregularities begins with internal cleansing. This involves identifying and removing officials guilty of crimes, especially those related to drugs,” he said. 

“This rationale underpins the launch of the drug testing campaign within the National Police. By first ensuring law enforcement is clean, we can more effectively educate and guide the public and successfully suppress various drug crimes,” the minister added.

Meas Vyrith, secretary-general of the National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD), reported that seizures and crackdowns in 2022 totalled nearly 14 tonnes. 

He said the police made significant headway in two major drug cases recently, taking nearly three tonnes into custody. 

He also noted an operation in early 2024 in Preah Sihanouk province that resulted in the confiscation of 1.5 tonnes of illicit substances on January 22, leading to the arrest of five foreigners, including two Chinese, two Taiwanese and one Filipino. 

He added that in a separate incident on January 20, the Preah Vihear provincial Military Police appropriated over a tonne of drugs abandoned in a vehicle in Chey Sen district.

Numerous dismissals

Nath Ratana, a police inspectorate officer in Prey Veng province’s Kanh Chriech district, and Thon Sophannarith, deputy chief of the Tbong Khmum provincial anti-drug bureau, were dismissed by Sokha from the National Police on January 5 for violating the body’s rules.

On January 18, four other police officers, who served as deputy secretaries of the ministry’s Anti-Counterfeiting Products Committee, were also removed from their positions for posing a “high risk to health and social safety”.

Many other officers of the force have been removed from their positions and stripped of rank, particularly those who tested positive for drugs. 

Interior ministry spokesman Sokhak revealed that from October 2023 to January 29 this year, nearly 100 officers were delisted in an effort to eradicate corrupt officials.

He stated that the officers removed included about 50 who tested positive for drugs and another 50 involved in disciplinary offences within the force. The drug testing unit, comprising the National Police, the General Department of Prisons (GDP) and several other units under the ministry, has been actively conducting the tests.

“The ministry still strongly expects that all National Police forces will remain as active as in the past and continue to support the campaign,” Sokhak added.

At the Ministry of Environment’s annual meeting on December 21, Manet emphasised the importance of eliminating drugs from the force. 

The premier recounted his experience as commander of the Royal Cambodian Army, stating that in 2019, he delisted 48 troops from the Ministry of National Defence due to drug-related offenses. 

In recent years, he said the Army has fired 80 troops and authorised the removal of many others in various regions.

“If we do not purify the armed forces, our law enforcement force, we will face difficulties. For traffickers, there must be a separate law, as our law considers those who use drugs as victims,” he explained.

“As an anti-terrorism commander, [I] have discharged those involved with drugs. Sometimes, out of sympathy, we sent them to rehabilitation centres and provide financial assistance, feeling sorry for their families. However, we do not allow them to return to work,” he added.

Resign and seek help

Sokha ordered the dismissal of any police officer who tests positive for drugs, in a decision announced during the inauguration ceremony of the Poipet Victim Rehabilitation Centre and Shelter in Banteay Meanchey province on December 18. 

He encouraged other stakeholders, including civil servants, to resign immediately if involved with drugs and to seek self-treatment, though the policy for them is not yet finalised.

Sokhak confirmed that drug testing would continue for civil servants, but the start date is pending, subject to the completion of the final National Police drug test.

Pa Chanroeun, president of the Cambodian Institute for Democracy, emphasised the importance of reinforcing the implementation of anti-drug laws and strengthening the officials responsible for anti-drug efforts. 

He believes that testing law enforcement officers for drugs and removing them from the National Police is essential and should be expanded, with severe punishment for those involved.

“Officials with drug-related offences should be severely punished according to the law to avoid setting a bad example for society and negatively impacting other innocent officials,” he said.

Chanroeun also suggested that the government enhance cooperation with other countries, including ASEAN members and the wider world, to thwart cross-border drug trafficking. 

He stressed the importance of public involvement in campaigns to eliminate and prevent smuggling and usage.

Chhort Bunthong, head of the Culture, Education and Tourist Relations Department at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, commended the initiative as a means to clean up the force and enhance the fight against illicit substances. 

He noted that the involvement of law enforcement officers in drug-related issues is akin to fighting an enemy that has a hidden force, leading to inevitable failure in the drug battle.

Buthong indicated that the discovery of officials involved should not only lead to their removal but should prompt deeper investigations into their involvement, the network’s extent and locations. 

“Not only demotion or dismissal is necessary, but also building a case for the court and extracting information to uncover the roots of other networks. Cooperation from these individuals could lead to reduced sentences, but lack of cooperation should result in harsher punishment,” he suggested.

Efforts to continue

Regarding this point, Sokhak reiterated that drug testing among officers is crucial for ‘cleaning the house’, in line with National Police rules. 

He said this includes discharging any officers involved in drugs to ensure more effective law enforcement. He added that if an officer is found to be part of a large drug trafficking group, further legal procedures are undertaken.

“Unless we discover involvement with major drug trafficking gangs, we can prosecute for general criminal offences and investigate to bring cases to court. However, so far, what we have found typically involves personal use, which is dealt with as a family matter,” he added.

Sokhak acknowledged that drug testing among officials would not automatically lead to the complete eradication of drug offences from society. 

He pointed out that even in highly developed countries, or those with stringent death penalty laws, the problem of drugs persists.

“It is not that drugs will disappear because they are found in the bodies of a few officials. The crucial aspect is the crackdown. However, before enforcing, we, as educators and mentors, must ensure our own integrity. The ministry has consistently implemented policies, strategic plans and other measures for this purpose,” he stated.

He said that the purpose of the campaign is to eliminate corrupt officials to prevent further deterioration and the spread of corruption, likening it to cancer. The effort aims to demonstrate that law enforcement officers are not involved in illegal drugs.