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Kampong Thom, Cambodia Breaking News: A massive drug bust in Kampong Thom at 2:30 pm on October 21, 2019 led to the arrests of four men and the seizure of 40 kg of methamphetamine drugs. The drugs were wrapped in the distinctive Chinese tea packaging, which has been a common facture in recent large-scale drug hauls in the South East Asia region, and are believed to indicate a connection with a billion dollar international Chinese-run drug syndicate.


The giant drug crackdown was conducted on National Road 6, Samnang village, Kompong Cham province, detaining four people (three Cambodians and one Thai) and confiscating some drug equipment.


The raid took place at the Ros Sokhouk restaurant, led by Kampong Thom Provincial prosecutor Ith Sothea, accompanied by Say Veasna, deputy prosecutor of the Kampong Thom Provincial Court of Justice. The suspects and exhibits were sent to the Kampong Thom Provincial Police headquarters to make a legal case.
More details to come.

CEOCambodiaNews wrote: ↑Tue Oct 22, 2019 3:09 am The drugs were wrapped in the distinctive Chinese tea packaging, which has been a common facture in recent large-scale drug hauls in the South East Asia region, and are believed to indicate a connection with a billion dollar international Chinese-run drug syndicate.

The raid took place at the Ros Sokhouk restaurant

I guess the Chinese tea Ceremony at this particular restaurant was incredibly popular then....

UPDATE: Police arrested four suspects in Kampong Thom province in a motor vehicle carrying 40 kgs of methamphetamine on the afternoon of October 21, 2019.

After the preliminary questioning, police said that the suspects admitted that the drug was imported by land from Thailand into Cambodia through Oddar Meanchey province. It was packed in 40 bags of Chinese tea weighing one kilo each.
The four suspects are male; three are Cambodian and one is Thai. 1: Kun Vann 2: Sok Bun Sei Chhay 3: Sak Seng Soung (Thai)
4: identified only as Lit.

UPDATE: A total of 93kgs of meth was seized in Kampong Thom province this week. The amount of methamphetamine seized in Cambodia seems to be increasing.

2 mins ago - BREAKING NEWS
50 kilos of meth seized Four nabbed
Interior Ministry’s Anti-Drug Department in cooperation with Kampong Thom province on Wednesday found more than 50 kilos of crystal meth after four suspects were arrested on Monday for trafficking 40 kilos of meth in Stantuk district.

Police officers identified them as Cambodians Kong Vannak, 40, Sok Bunsereichai, 42, and Ly Toek, 53, and the Thai national as Sak Saesong, 32. 40 kilograms of crystal meth were also confiscated.

Major General Ouk Kosal, Kampong Thom provincial police chief, said that after the four suspects were questioned, it led to another seizure of more crystal meth hidden in Kampong Svay district’s Sankor commune.

Speaking at the meeting on Anti-Human Trafficking strategy plan today at the Interior Ministry, Interior Minister Sar Kheng said that Anti-Drug police confiscated 93 kilograms of crystal meth in Kampong Thom province between Monday and Wednesday.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50654075/5 ... ur-nabbed/

Kampong Thom, Cambodia News: On 23 October 2019, after questioning suspects Kong Vannak, 40, Sok Bunsereichai, 42, and Ly Toek, 53, and Thai national Sak Saesong, 32, Kampong Thom police raided a house located in Sar Nokor village (B), Sankor commune, Kampong Svay district, Kampong Thom province.


On searching the bedroom, the authorities found two travel bags and a backpack under the bed, stuffed with 53 kgs of methamphetamine packaged in 1 kilogram packets of Chinese tea. Together with the 40kgs originally found in the car, 93 kilos of drugs have been seized in 3 days by Kampong Thom police. This is Kampong Thom's largest drug haul to date.

UPDATE: It keeps coming. The total amount of methamphetamine found in Kampong Thom this week is now 100kgs. According to the Khmer Times, 7 more kilograms were found in a third raid, shortly after the Minister of the Interior, Sar Kheng, announced to the press that a total of 93kgs had been seized.

Just hours after Mr Kheng spoke to the media, police recovered another seven kilogrammes of crystal meth which the suspects had hidden behind another house in the commune.
“During the three raids, 100 kilogrammes of crystal meth was confiscated,” Maj Gen Kosal noted.

Maj Gen Kosal noted the four suspects will be sent to the provincial court today.

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50654403/p ... -province/

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UPDATE: 24 November 2019

The National Police’s Anti-Drug Department and Kampong Thom provincial police will conduct a joint investigation following a drug bust on October 21-24, in which nearly 100kg of drugs were seized.

The drugs were submitted to the Phnom Penh municipal court to proceed with further action.

A statement from the provincial court prosecutor on Friday identified the suspects as Thai national Sak Saesong, 32, and three Cambodian nationals, Kong Vannak, 40, Sok Bun Serechhai, 42, and Ly Teuk, 53.

The court charged the four with drug trafficking and they are to be transferred to Prey Sar prison in Phnom Penh.

Provincial court prosecutor Ith Sothea told The Post on Sunday that the transfer of such a major drug case and the accused to the capital requires the investigative expertise of specialists from the Anti-Drug Department.

The accused are presumed to have connections with another network of cross-border drug criminals based in Thailand following their confessions to the drugs being imported via Thailand’s checkpoint.
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ ... crackdowns