The National Police’s Anti-Drug Department and Kampong Thom provincial police will conduct a joint investigation following a drug bust on October 21-24, in which nearly 100kg of drugs were seized.

The drugs were submitted to the Phnom Penh municipal court to proceed with further action.

A statement from the provincial court prosecutor on Friday identified the suspects as Thai national Sak Saesong, 32, and three Cambodian nationals, Kong Vannak, 40, Sok Bun Serechhai, 42, and Ly Teuk, 53.

The court charged the four with drug trafficking and they are to be transferred to Prey Sar prison in Phnom Penh.

Provincial court prosecutor Ith Sothea told The Post on Sunday that the transfer of such a major drug case and the accused to the capital requires the investigative expertise of specialists from the Anti-Drug Department.

The accused are presumed to have connections with another network of cross-border drug criminals based in Thailand following their confessions to the drugs being imported via Thailand’s checkpoint.

In a separate case, Nget Chanty, the deputy commander of Takeo military police, told The Post on Sunday of the arrest of 28-year-old suspect Thim Na while he was preparing to transport 15 sacks of marijuana weighing 98kg to sell at the Vietnam border.

The crackdown operation was conducted at the valley in the Bayong Kor mountain in Kiri Vong district’s Prey Ampoak commune. More than 3,000 marijuana plants were set on fire.

“For now, the Takeo provincial court has ordered the suspect to be detained temporarily and charged with drug trafficking,” Chanty said.