Banteay Meanchey Provincial Court has let a suspected marijuana farmer walk free because of his advanced age.

Luck Phy, a spokesman for the provincial military police, said yesterday that authorities seized more than 4 kilograms of the drug after raiding a 71-year-old man’s farm in Banteay Meanchey on Friday night.

“After we received reports from our working group and some additional information from locals, the military police chief went down to the farm and destroyed the marijuana, seized more than 4 kilograms of dry marijuana and 68 marijuana trees,” Phy said.

The elderly farm owner, Hy Yun, was arrested in Poipet town soon after the raid.

Theam Pheakdey, anti-drug bureau chief for the Banteay Meanchey provincial military police, said yesterday that Yun was sent to court on Saturday, but was quickly allowed to go back home.

“The court officials did not charge him because he is too old,” Pheakdey said. “But he promised to the court and officials that he will stop planting marijuana. We let him go back home.”