Five suspects, including four underage monks, were sent to Svay Rieng Provincial Court yesterday over alleged use and trafficking of drugs, according to provincial anti-drug trafficking chief Kan Ken.

Rath Touch, 31, and the four monks, Khem Dy, 17, No Savi, 17, Oum Phearom, 15, and Pov Svay, 14, were arrested on Sunday at the pagoda in Svay Tiep district, where the man was staying with the monks, Ken said. The monks were defrocked by the chief of the pagoda before being arrested.

“The four monks confessed that they have used drugs since late 2015 until now,” Ken said. Police found methamphetamine and paraphernalia, including a pipe.

“When the chief monk opened the room at the pagoda, he saw that the four monks had just finished using drugs,” Ken said.

Police investigated the case for more than a month, he said, with authorities following Touch’s moves.

The suspects were yet to be charged yesterday.