DPA
Phnom Penh - One Chinese woman appeared in a Phnom Penh court and 17 other defendants were arraigned in a provincial court over the seizure of tons of chemicals allegedly procured to manufacture methamphetamines, officials said Tuesday.
Cambodian police said they confiscated more than three tons of chemicals used to produce the drugs in separate raids in the capital and on a remote farm in Kampong Speu province, nearly 100 kilometres southwest of the capital, last Sunday.
It is believed to be the largest bust of its kind in Cambodia.
Court officials said Chinese and Thai chemical experts were among those charged and remanded in custody over the bust, and that the chemicals, which they did not identify, appeared to have been imported from neighbouring Vietnam.
Cambodia has long been identified as a major trafficking point for drugs, including methamphetamines, but has not been pinpointed as a major manufacturer of the substances before now.
Court officials declined to comment on what sentences the men and women face if convicted. Under Cambodian law they can be held up to six months before trial while police conduct their investigations.
Local media reported that the US Drug Enforcement Agency had been officially requested for help in the case by the Cambodian government.
Cambodian police said they confiscated more than three tons of chemicals used to produce the drugs in separate raids in the capital and on a remote farm in Kampong Speu province, nearly 100 kilometres southwest of the capital, last Sunday.
It is believed to be the largest bust of its kind in Cambodia.
Court officials said Chinese and Thai chemical experts were among those charged and remanded in custody over the bust, and that the chemicals, which they did not identify, appeared to have been imported from neighbouring Vietnam.
Cambodia has long been identified as a major trafficking point for drugs, including methamphetamines, but has not been pinpointed as a major manufacturer of the substances before now.
Court officials declined to comment on what sentences the men and women face if convicted. Under Cambodian law they can be held up to six months before trial while police conduct their investigations.
Local media reported that the US Drug Enforcement Agency had been officially requested for help in the case by the Cambodian government.
No comments:
Post a Comment