Anti-drug department police forces are working to identify additional accomplices involved in cross-border drug trafficking following the arrest of two alleged drug dealers.

Mak Chito, deputy National Police chief in charge of the department, told The Post on April 3 that his officers, acting on a tip-off from an informant, were able to arrest the two suspects on March 30-31. The first was identified as a Vietnamese national named Sok Taing, 36, and the second a Lao national named Pav Veang, also 36.

The initial bust took place in the parking lot of a mega shopping mall in Chak Angre commune of the capital's Meanchey district. Over 40kg of methamphetamines were recovered from a Toyota crossover that police said Taing was driving. Veang's arrest came the following day after further investigation.

“Upon questioning, Pav Veang admitted that he was the right-hand man of an influential drug dealer in Laos,” Chito said.

Citing the pair's confessions, he said they had smuggled the drugs across the border into Cambodia with the intention of setting up a network of local dealers in the country, only to have their plan foiled by the police.

“However, at this time, the police are continuing to search for other suspected drug dealers connected to their plans and who are believed to be hiding in Cambodia, so that we can bring them all to justice,” Chito added.

He said the two suspects have been placed in pre-trial detention at Prey Sar prison on charges of storing, transporting and dealing drugs under article 48 of the law on drug control.