Police in Stung Treng province on Tuesday arrested a man who had smuggled over 900 grams of crystal methamphetamine across the border from Laos, local anti-drug police said.
Lao national Sieng Mey, 39, was arrested about 2 km into Cambodia in Thala Barivat district’s Thala Barivat commune after he crossed an informal border checkpoint between the two countries with 903 grams of crystal methamphetamine.
“This is the third-biggest [drug bust] this year” in Stung Treng, said Nou Hour, the provincial anti-drug police chief.
“Drug suspect Sieng Mey confessed that these drugs belonged to him and were smuggled across the border because his clients ordered them, and now our anti-drug policemen are continuing to find his clients due to his confession,” he added.
Mr. Hour said police had been trying to apprehend Mr. Mey, a known smuggler, for over a month.
Mr. Mey is scheduled to be sent to the provincial court today to face charges of cross-border drug smuggling.
Earlier this year, Interior Minister Sar Kheng called on local police officials along the Lao border to work harder to combat the large number of drug smugglers operating there.
