Six foreign nationals were arrested in Sihanoukville town Thursday afternoon following a raid by anti-narcotics police on a British-owned guest house.
Sihanoukville provincial police confirmed Sunday that the six were arrested at the Melting Pot guest house and restaurant located in the Mittapheap district.
Tak Vantha, Sihanoukville’s deputy police chief, said Sunday that 5 kg of marijuana, eight cakes with marijuana as an ingredient and a small number of amphetamine and ecstasy pills were seized during the raid on the guest house, which is frequented by budget travelers.
The Melting Pot’s British owner, Craig Alexander, 41, and an Indian national who worked as a cook at the guest house, Prabodh Choudhary, 25, have been charged with selling illegal drugs, said Tak Vantha.
Four others including a 30-year-old British man, a 27-year-old British woman, a 25-year-old Irishman and a 48-year-old Australian man, will be charged with possession and use of illegal drugs, said Tak Vantha.
One Ministry of Interior official specializing in drug suppression expressed skepticism about the raid Sunday, saying authorities have long tolerated marijuana use by travelers in Cambodia.
“I am very surprised….This [guest house] is a very small thing,” said the official, noting that major drug gangs and Phnom Penh night spots notorious for drug trafficking have not seen police action.
“Maybe the Sihanoukville police are trying to make money out of those [arrested] foreigners,” the official said.
Last month Phnom Penh Governor Chea Sophara publicly warned two nightclubs to clean up drug use on their premises or face police raids. But last week he said no raids had yet taken place as authorities are focusing on educating under 18-year-olds not to go to these clubs.
Sihanoukville Governor Ith Detola said Sunday he ordered the crackdown on the guest house. Although provincial authorities previously tolerated marijuana use by foreigners, the drug situation is now increasing and had to be stopped, he said.
According to Ith Detola, the six are in police detention and the case will now be handed to the provincial court for prosecution.
“I understand that this will affect tourism, but it will only affect those who want to use drugs. Good tourists will still come to Sihanoukville,” Ith Detola said.
(Additional reporting by John Gravois)
