The Ministry of Commerce’s Camcontrol Department found yesterday that part of the more than 300 kilograms of “suspicious” dried squid, stingray and shrimp confiscated in Kampot on Sunday had extremely high levels of a chemical substance banned in Cambodia.

Following complaints, Kampot provincial police along with Kampong Trach district police arrested three vendors and seized 318 kilograms of the dried seafood, said district police chief Bun Somuny.

The seafood, which was imported from Vietnam, was thought to contain plastic, Somuny said, adding that he sent the products to Camcontrol for examination.

Four vendors were temporarily detained by Battambang’s Sangke district police on Friday after the complaints.

“They found that the shrimps and the squids did not have plastic..but there was more than 22 kilograms of borax, a chemical substance banned by the Ministry of Health.”

The vendors were detained but released after questioning and “re-education” under the Kampot Provincial Court deputy prosecutor’s orders.