A police officer was last week charged with illegal drug trafficking after allegedly being found with more than 3.5 kg of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine, ketamine and heroin, a police official said Tuesday.
Interior Ministry anti-drug department director Khieu Saman said Lea Chantha, 49, was arrested on Thursday following a raid on his home and another house in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district.
Police seized more than 1.5 kg of methamphetamine, nearly 100 grams of ketamine, 280 grams of heroin and 1.6 kg of another unidentified white powder, Mr. Saman explained.
Three sets of weighing scales, packing equipment and other drug paraphernalia was also confiscated, he said.
“Mr. Chantha is a police officer at the Interior Ministry and he was suspected along with other drug dealers of distributing, using and trafficking drugs from a neighboring country,” Mr. Saman said.
He said Mr. Chantha had not attended work for a long period prior to his arrest but that it was unclear whether he had resigned or been fired.
A statement on the National Police website confirmed the arrest of Mr. Chantha.
