Provincial Police See Increase in Smuggling

Banteay Meanchey provincial po­­lice on Monday expressed concern over an increase in drug smug­­gling across the Thai border and into Cambodian provincial towns.

The amount of illegal drugs seized in just two weeks of January equaled 40 percent of all the drugs confiscated last year, said Banteay Mean­­chey deputy provincial po­lice chief Chhoeung Sokhom.

“Drug smuggling across the bor­­­der and around the province is really active early this month,” Chhoeung Sokhom said. “We do not know the reason why, but all sus­­pects confessed to police that they were hired to carry drugs ac­ross the border or distribute [them] around the country in or­der to earn money.”

Authorities seized 2,971 am­phe­ta­mine pills on Jan 11 and 13 from three drug smuggling suspects in Ban­teay Meanchey province, said Sok Saret provincial police chief.

Suspects Che Khy, 24, and Sir Bun­korng, 30—both from Poipet commune, O’Chrou district—were arrested separately Jan 11 with 921 amphetamine pills, Chhoeung Sokhom said.

In another arrest, Kirt Ruoth, 51, was discovered on Jan 13 at the Thai border with 2,050 amphetamine pills, he added. The suspect con­fessed to police that he was hired to carry the drugs from Thai­land into Cambodia for $50.

All three suspects were sent to Banteay Meanchey provincial court Saturday and are being held in prison, Sok Saret said.

Across the border in Thailand, 3,680 amphetamine pills were seized Jan 13 from two Cam­bo­dian nationals who live in Poipet com­mune, O’Chrou district. Nip Phat, 21, and Chhun Sieng, 24, were arrested by Thai authorities Thursday, Sok Saret said. The two suspects are being de­tained at a Thai prison awaiting trial.

“Those Cambodian people will face charges of drug smuggling across the border by Thai authority because they were arrested in Thai territory,” he said.

The suspects said they smuggled drugs to escape poverty and to earn money to support their fam­­ilies, Chhoeung Sokhom said. “They claimed they are aware of the punishment…but they have [no] choice. Otherwise their family will have nothing to eat,” he said.