Monday, March 26, 2012

Drugs: our man in Cambodia

Australian police suspect a nephew of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is involved in a heroin trafficking and money laundering syndicate targetting Australia. Photo: AFP

DRUGS: Aussie men in Cambodia?
Cambodian tycoons, Prime Minister Hun Sen's nephew Hun To, right, Cambodian Chamber of Commerce President Kith Meng, center, and Cambodian Sen. Ly Yong Phat, left, take part in ceremonies held ahead of the May 8 World Red Cross Day and Red Crescent Day in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, May 3, 2011. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

March 26, 2012
Nick McKenzie and Richard Baker
The Canberra Times

AUSTRALIAN police suspect a nephew of Cambodia's Prime Minister of involvement in a heroin trafficking and money laundering syndicate targeting Australia.

But a plan to arrest and question Hun To in Melbourne was thwarted because his application for a visa was denied by Australian embassy officials in Phnom Penh, with one official citing the need to avoid a diplomatic incident.

The targeting of Hun To by an Australian Crime Commission inquiry between 2002 and 2004 is one of several incidents that suggest strong and continuing links between local crime figures and Cambodia.

The Age can also reveal that Sydney crime figures have been investing millions of dollars of suspected drug proceeds in businesses in Cambodia, including some tied to influential government and business identities.


The revelations come after The Saturday Age reported that police had uncovered a global crime syndicate importing more than $1 billion of drugs into Australia annually, with connections to government and policing officials across Asia.

The inquiry that targeted Hun To, dubbed Operation Illipango, investigated the shipment of heroin into Australia from Cambodia in loads of timber.

Hun To, a nephew of Prime Minister Hun Sen, is a powerful and feared figure in Cambodia. He was once considered a close business associate of Cambodia's richest man, tycoon Kith Meng, who owns the Royal Group investment and development empire.

Operation Illipango investigated suspected drug funds taken to Crown casino in Melbourne, from where — under the suspected oversight of Hun To — they were then moved to Asia.

Kith Meng had numerous dealings with Hun To during Hun To's suspected crime activity, although The Age is not suggesting Kith Meng is involved in organised crime.

Kith Meng's Royal Group has partnered major Australian companies such as ANZ and Toll Holdings in joint venture projects in Cambodia.

Plans to arrest Hun To were derailed after his visa was cancelled. An embassy official briefed on the police operation targeting him is believed to have raised concerns that his arrest could create a diplomatic incident. An Immigration Department spokesman said privacy laws prevented the department from discussing whether he had applied for a visa or reasons why such an application may have been denied.

The only person charged with drug trafficking in connection to the ACC inquiry was Cambodian national Phenny Thai, a lowly associate of Hun To.

Phenny Thai was described in the Victorian Supreme Court in 2005 as having "strong connections with powerful people in Cambodia which facilitated his business enterprises." He had also "gained the rank of major in the Cambodian army, having paid for that appointment."

Among other Australians with suspected organised crime links to Cambodia are a Vietnamese-Chinese family that owns a well-known Sydney Asian restaurant.

Police have determined that over the past decade, the family has helped send more than $10 million to Cambodia, including suspected proceeds of drug trafficking. Some of the money was used to fund a casino. Other funds were invested in a casino cruise ship.

In 2006, an associate of this Australian crime family told an Asian news service that their casino business maintained "a good relationship with the Cambodian government."

Hun To could not be contacted for comment. Kith Meng said he was too busy to talk to The Age.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ah CHkae Hun Sen's family has a history for illegal distribution of drugs since he began his office.

Hes been known to also grow marijuana in the jungle during the 70s and 80s.

AH CHkae, you cant lie anymore. AH CHkae

Anonymous said...

In Cambodia who doesn't know Hun To?
People call him "AH Hun TO" not Hun To.He was known as a hooligan, then a traffic of influence, a criminal logger and a shooter of Touch Srey Nich.

He has been part of the criminal Hun gang that include Hun To, Hun Choch, Hun Sinath's son, Hun San'sons...

A family of gangsters!

Sam Chhorda said...

I need an Australian Crime Commission arrest Hun To, Kith Meng and especially Hun Xen because they are dictators.

Anonymous said...

អាខ្វាក់ហ៊ុន សែន ឈ្មោះដើមវាហ៊ុន ណាល់ ។
ឪវាឈ្មោះ ហ៊ុន នៀង ជាមេចោរលួចគោនៅស្រុកក្រូច
ឆ្មារ ខេត្តកំពង់ចាម ម៉ែវាឈ្មោះ ឌី ប៉ុក
ជាអ្នកលក់នំអាកោរ។ អាខ្វាក់ហ៊ុន សែន ឈ្មោះដើម
វា គឺ អាហ៊ុន ណាល់ ជាចោរដូចឪវាដែរ។
អ្នកស្រុកក្រូចឆ្មារដេញប្រផាត់រត់ប្រផីងជង់និង
មែកត្របែកខ្វាក់ភ្នែកម្ខាង ហើយឆ្នាំ៧០រត់ចូល
ចូលព្រៃម៉ាគី ធ្វើជាខ្មែរក្រហម។
ជំនាន់ខ្មែរក្រហម គណៈភូមិ គណៈឃុំ និង
គណៈតំបន់មួយចំនួនជាចោរ ឬ មេចោរលួចគោ ឬ ក្របី។
ដល់មកបានធ្វើនាយករដ្ធមន្ត្រី កើតជាមេចោរលក់
ជាតិ លួចជាតិ។ឪអាខ្វាក់ហ៊ុន សែន ជាមេចោរ អាខ្វាក់ហ៊ុន
សែនជាមេចោរ អស់ទាំងមុខមន្រ្តីក៏ជាចោរដូច អាខ្វាក់
ហ៊ុន សែន ដែរ។

ចំណែកក្មួយប្រុសអាខ្វាក់ហ៊ុន សែន ឈ្មោះ ហ៊ុន តូ
ជាមេចោរបំផ្លាញជាតិ មេចោរលួចជាតិ មេរកស៊ីទុច្ចរិត
ដូច មាវាអាខ្វាក់ ហ៊ុន សែន ដែរ។