The National Police’s anti-drug squad on August 18 engaged in a brief shoot-out with suspects before arresting two of them in connection with the trafficking of nearly 30kg of illegal substances.
Anti-drug department director Lek Vannak said on August 22 that authorities arrested the two on August 18 in Phnom Penh’s Chroy Changvar district and are now searching for two additional suspects who managed to flee on foot.
After questioning, police sent them to court on the afternoon of August 22.
Vannak said that during the operation the police stopped a car carrying the four suspects on National Road 6 in Chroy Changvar district’s Prek Leap commune.
Two suspects managed to escape when one of the other two who remained in the car opened fire on police before being apprehended.
The police returned fire in self-defence until the suspect dropped his weapon and surrendered. Neither the police officers nor the suspects were injured during the incident.
Their arrest led to another raid on a house in Prey Sar commune’s Prakar village of Phnom Penh’s Dangkor district, where officers confiscated more drugs and property.
“We caught the two suspects on National Road 6A and confiscated their gun, so the second target we just checked the suspects’ accommodation to find more drugs. Those who ran away from the car are still being investigated,” he said.
According to Vannak, the two suspects apprehended were a 38-year-old Cambodian and a Thai national aged 54.
