The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on May 25 placed three Chinese men in pre-trial detention for drug trafficking, while a Cambodian man in Banteay Meanchey province was also remanded in custody on the same charge in a separate case.

Municipal court spokesman Plang Sophal identified the suspects as Cho Shih Jie, 42; Li Zhi, 27; and Peng Zhengcheng, 31.

Anti-drug police from the Ministry of Interior – in collaboration with the police in Phnom Penh and Preah Sihanouk province – arrested them in different locations. They seized over 3kg of heroine; over 4kg of MDMA; over 9kg of methamphetamine; 648g of methamphetamine; over 7kg of ketamine; 215 bottles of liquid ketamine weighing over 2kg; over 2kg of nimetazepam pills weighing over 2kg; and 56kg of suspected precursor chemicals.

“The suspects were charged by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court prosecutor with drug trafficking under Article 40 of the drug control law. The investigating judge ordered judicial officers to hold them in Prey Sar prison, pending trial,” he said.

In a separate case, the Banteay Meanchey Provincial Court on May 25 put a Cambodian man in pre-trial detention on the same charge.

Court spokesman Roeun Lina told The Post that anti-drug department police arrested Eang Ron, 23, in the early hours of May 24.

Poipet town police chief Sao Saroeun said that during the raid, the police seized 136 small sacks of crystal power, 51 pink pills, 37 blue pills and 14 green pills.