Three people, including a British national, were arrested in two separate drug busts on Saturday in Preah Sihanouk and Stung Treng provinces, police said Sunday.
On Saturday, police raided the rented room of British national David Reader, 66, and his girlfriend Lim Saron, 34, at the Power House Guest House in Sihanoukville’s Buon commune, said Long Kimhour, the Sihanoukville military police chief.
Police found them in possession of four small plastic bags containing 77.8 grams of methamphetamine, one bong and one pipe, both used for smoking the drug, Mr. Kimhour said.
He added that undercover police officers bought $150 worth of methamphetamine from the couple on two separate occasions over a two-month period before deciding to make Saturday’s arrest.
“We spent a lot of time watching them,” he said.
Mr. Reader, who is retired and has lived in Sihanoukville for six years, claimed the drugs belonged to Ms. Saron, Mr. Kimhour said.
“Both of them were sent to Preah Sihanouk Provincial Court [Saturday] and they were charged with drug distribution and use,” Mr. Kimhour said, adding that they are now being held in provisional detention.
In a separate case, anti-drug police in Stung Treng province arrested a man in Stung Treng City Saturday after he smuggled 3,992 methamphetamine pills across the border from Laos, said provincial anti-drug police chief Nou Hour.
Police began investigating Sek Pheakdey, 30, six months ago after they started to suspect him of drug smuggling, Mr. Hour said.
“First he was smuggling wildlife meat, then he changed to drug smuggling,” he said, adding that Mr. Pheakdey was arrested on his relatives’ farm in Stung Treng commune.
Mr. Pheakdey was charged with drug smuggling Saturday and is in provisional detention at the provincial prison, Mr. Hour said.
