The Preah Sihanouk Provincial Court on January 8 has sentenced ten Chinese men to life imprisonment for their involvement in the production, storage and trafficking of 14 tonnes of illegal narcotics and chemical precursors. They were also convicted of laundering money, with the charges relating to a major bust in Preah Sihanouk province in July 2022.

According to a January 9 statement by the Preah Sihanouk Provincial Court, the convicted individuals are Lin Yang Hong, Li Chong Hui, Zhen Ming Jian, Tsai Yi Tsung, Chen Te Jen, Chen Wei Yu, Tsai Cheng Wen, Yu Wen Wu, Liao Cheng Wei and Shen Yuan Lung, each of them Taiwanese passport holders.

The court also imposed a fine of 100 million riel (approximately $25,000) on each individual and confirmed that all of the confiscated drugs have been destroyed.

During a 2022 by the Anti-Drug Department of the Ministry of Interior, officials raided two locations in Preah Sihanouk province. The first was in Village 3, Sangkat 3, and the second was in Stung Chhay South village, Stung Chhay commune, Kampong Seila district.

More than 14 tonnes of chemical precursors were seized, along with a range of drug production equipment, including 50 reaction vessels, 7 reaction jars, 3 generators, 5 reaction machines, 1 stirring motor, 298 drum shells and various related paraphernalia.

In a separate case, the Preah Sihanouk Provincial Court on January 9 charged Chinese national Yang Li with the illegal production, trafficking and storage of 48 kilogrammes of narcotics. The charges followed a raid on a house within the BS Borey housing complex in Village 5, Sangkat 4.

The raid took place on January 2. The accused has been detained at the provincial prison while legal proceedings continue.