A two-day drug crackdown in Kampong Thom province on Tuesday and Wednesday led to the arrests of 30 alleged drug users and dealers – including two police officers who were later released.

Provincial police raided clubs, restaurants, karaoke rooms and other locations where investigative police reported drug activity, Kampong Thom provincial police chief Keo Sophal said yesterday, while also maintaining that the policemen were accidentally swept up in the raids.

“Among the 30 drug users and dealers were nine high school students between the ages of 16 and 21; there were also two new police officers,” Sophal said. “The two new police officers – about 25 years old – were having a drink at a restaurant, but did not know their friends used or sold drugs; so we have sent them back to their unit for punishment.”

Sophal declined to name the arrested officers.

Of the other 28 arrested, 21 were sent to the provincial prison, four were sent to “drug neutralisation centres” and the other three were sent home with their parents, Sophal said.

Declining to identify the amount or what specific drugs were netted during raids, Sophal just said that numerous types were found.

A National Authority for Combating Drugs report released in January said drug arrests increased by 50 per cent from 2013 to 2014.