Two men were detained on Friday for attempting to poison dogs for sale to meat vendors in Phnom Penh’s Dangkao district, police said yesterday.
Sem Sina, 22, and Heang Ath, 24, were arrested while attempting to kill dogs with pieces of poisoned bacon, according to deputy district police chief Choub Sok Heng.
“The suspects confessed that they had poisoned dogs many times in Dangkao district,” he said.
Mr Sok Heng said he had no idea how many dogs they had killed, and noted that the pair also confessed to selling the dead dogs to meat vendors.
“We have educated and warned them to stop poisoning dogs that belong to villagers, and we allowed them to go home Saturday evening,” he said.
Samroang commune police chief Em Kak said the popularity of dog meat made poisoning of canines a common crime in the area, but added that the culprits often manage to evade arrest.
Russei Keo commune police chief Sun Chan Nareth, by contrast, said dog poisonings were rare in his own jurisdiction because locals were now poisoning dogs elsewhere.
“We have cracked down on many suspects involved in poisoning dogs for eating and selling,” he said. “We have detained those who poison dogs when villagers file complaints.”
A dog meat vendor in Chamkar Mon district who declined to give her name yesterday said much of the capital’s supply comes from outside the city.
“Many dogs are taken from the provinces and around Phnom Penh,” she said. “These dogs are just transported here for sale.”
Nearby, another dog meat vendor would not comment on where she got her supply of meat.
“We sell dog meat daily to customers. It is popular,” the vendor said, declining to reveal how she maintains her supply.
