Seven people were arrested on suspicion of using or dealing illegal drugs when military police raided a brothel in Battambang province Wednesday, officials said.
Two men, Chan Chealy, 17, and Horm Hoeurn, 20, were accused of selling drugs at the brothel in Bavel district, Santepheap commune, Bavel district Military Police Chief Pal Pov said Thursday.
Four women—brothel owner Ler Chanthy, 29, and employees An Saruon, 21, Chan Srey Pao, 27, and Khem Ra, 24—and a man, Viet Prom, 24, were accused of using illicit drugs, Pal Pov said.
Several of the accused confessed to military police and to officials in Battambang Provincial Court Thursday that they regularly used methamphetamines “in order to release stress,” he said.
“They confessed that they felt happy and could serve [clients] well whenever they took drug pills,” Pal Pov said. He said military police raided the brothel after receiving an anonymous tip.
Police shut down the brothel and seized 15 methamphetamine pills, he said.
In the past year, authorities in Cambodia have repeatedly reported that amphetamine use is on the rise.
On Monday, a woman was arrested in Battambang town and accused of drug dealing after police confiscated nearly 3,000 methamphetamine pills from her, military police officials said Tuesday.
Sim Srey, 40, confessed to authorities that she was transporting the drugs to a client when she was arrested, said Battambang district military police Chief Poa Vicheth.
He said military police were tipped off about the exchange by undercover officers.
Sim Srey told military police she bought the drugs in Phnom Penh and had been selling them in Battambang since July, he said.
She was questioned in provincial court Monday afternoon and is being detained in provincial prison, said Nhem Chhan, an assistant to the military police chief.
