The number of people arrested in drug-related crimes last year almost doubled compared to 2013, though the amount of drugs seized decreased, an official said Tuesday.
Police dealt with an increased number of cases in 2014—1,339 compared to 889 the year before—while the number of arrests grew from 1,830 in 2013 to 3,138 last year, said Lieutenant General Meas Vyrith, secretary-general of the National Authority for Combating Drugs.
But only 90 kg of drugs, including methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin, were seized last year, compared to 100 kg in 2013, he added.
“There is an increase [in cases] because our country is the victim country where criminals transport and traffic drugs, but drugs are all around the world and not only in Cambodia,” he said. Lt. Gen.
Vyrith said police were hampered in making even more arrests in 2014 because they were too busy dealing with protesters and needed additional training to spot drug traffickers.
“Drug crimes are not the same as [illegally] logging a forest because drugs are small and not as big as trees, so we cannot see them or find them easily,” he said.
