Three suspects were arrested for questioning by Oddar Meanchey provincial anti-drug police for allegedly cultivating 12,500 marijuana plants and possessing 36kg of dried marijuana in Anlong Veng district’s Anlong Veng commune.

“I have contacted the prosecutor, asking to continue the detention process for another day or two to complete our investigation process,” said Thong Sami, deputy provincial police chief on July 6.

Sami declined to provide further details, citing an ongoing investigation.

District police chief Sim Vannak said that before the crackdown he had received information from residents that there was a marijuana plantation in Anlong Veng commune and village. Police descended on the site and found the suspects had grown the marijuana in a mango plantation.

During the bust, police destroyed the fresh marijuana plants, confiscated dried marijuana, a car, a bulldozer, one tractor and other equipment.

In a separate case in Takeo province, Kiri Vong district police on July 3 destroyed hundreds of marijuana plants.

Deputy provincial police chief in charge of anti-drug Chheng Sun referred reporters to district police chief Yuk Sarath, who could not be reached for comment.

But a National Police report confirmed that Sarath led a force to destroy two marijuana sites on July 4. The two sites are located in Kiri Vong district’s Preah Bat Chonchum commune.