Cambodia Marks International Anti-Drug Day [-Cambodia is not a country producing drug: Hun Sen]

Hun Sen claims Cambodia is not a country producing drug, yet large amount of drug-making materials are seized in Cambodia. What gives?

2009-06-26
Xinhua

About 10,000 Cambodian students, drug victims, police and government officials gathered at Olympic Stadium in the heart center of Phnom Penh to mark the International Anti-Drug Day on Friday.

Cambodia is not a country producing drug but it has suffered from drug issues lately if comparing with other countries in the region because drug criminals are trying to use Cambodia as transmit place to deal drug to other countries, Prime Minister Hun Sen told the ceremony.

He said that in 2007 about 46,000 people were estimated to have used drugs illegally. "We lost about 50 million U.S. dollars each year for using drug illegally. That money was spent illegally and not necessary."

Drug users are facing with AIDS because they used the same needle to inject drug. "We are concerned of them, and we succeeded to reduce AIDS spreading from 3 per cent in 1997 to 0.9 percent in 2009," he said.

"We have to join together to take actions timely and prevent the spreading of drug using across the country, and we have to educate people more and conducts public campaign regularly to promote people to understand about difficulties from drug issues," the premier said.

Hun Sen warned, "If officials from law enforcement agencies involve with drug deal, we have to punish more serious than others. "

He also announced that the government will build a new rehabilitation center of drug addicted people in Kompong Speu province. "We have always considered drug users are victims. Our students should have to stay away from drug. Don't try it," Hun Sen said.

The premier also thanked donor countries, UN and other partners who have always assisted Cambodia's drug enforcement agency. According to a report from the anti-drug authority, the enforcement unit of the Interior Ministry cracked 1,714 cases of drug last year and arrested 3,514 criminals.

Sassafras (M'reah Prov) Oil Export Worries Drug Officials

By Mean Veasna, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
07 March 2008

The use of sassafras tree oil in the production of the drug Ecstasy is a rising concern for authorities.

Cambodia has become an exporter of the oil of the sassafras tree, which is used in the manufacture of the drug Ecstasy.

Sassafras oil mainly comes from the three provinces of Koh Kong, Pursat and Battambang, said Luar Ramin, secretary-general of the National Authority for Combating Drugs, at a recent conference.

The sassafras tree, especially Cambodia's mountain variety, produces an oil high in the chemical safrole, which is in turn used to produce the head-shaking, euphoric drug.

"According to the report of Vietnam, submitted through [the UN drug control office], between 2003 and 2005, the tree oil has been shipped in the hundreds of tons, through Vietnam for the international market," Luar Ramin said. "When Vietnam stopped buying it, the tree oil was exported through Thailand, and they seized 50 tons of it. This is a critical sign of worry."

Cambodia's forestry law prohibits the harvest or transport of sassafras oil, which is classified as a top-tier controlled substance.

Eng Chhunthan, a rights worker for Licadho based in Pursat, said he has received verbal reports that the cultivation of the oil continues in forests far from provincial centers.

Cambodia Faces Drug Problem [-Guess who the drug lords are...]

Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington
29 October 2007

Cambodia has become one of the worst drug nations in the region, a Cambodia drug official said Monday.

Youths, laborers, even fishermen, are driving the demand for cheap methamphetamines of the sort found in a major lab bust in April that put Cambodia on the production map, said Tea Phaully, a program officer for the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.

Nearly four tons of drug-making materials were seized in a Kampong Speu province methamphetamine lab in April, the biggest bust in the history of Cambodia, which traditionally held a place as a major transshipment point for drugs. Officials said the bust demonstrated that Cambodia had become a major producer, as well.

"No elsewhere in the region can compare to Cambodia," he said, as a guest on "Hello VOA."

Cambodia is also a major supplier of sassafras tree oil, which can be used in the production of the drug Ecstacy.

Workers along the Thai border are highly susceptible to drug addiction, Tea Phaully said, where they begin at first by smoking the drug, then injecting it intravenously, a practice that spreads HIV.

The workers have been tricked, he said. They think they can work harder using the drug, but they end up spending their money on it.

Drug rehabilitation centers have been established in Battambang, Banthey Meanchey and Koh Kong provinces, as well as Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, he said.

Major Drug Discoveries Found in Cambodia [put Cambodia on the big league of drug producer]

By Rory Byrne, VOA News
Phnom Penh
25 September 2007

The recent discovery of two huge methamphetamine laboratories in Cambodia has led to fears that the country is becoming a major regional center of illegal drug production and consumption. Authorities say that tougher anti-drug programs in neighboring countries have led some major drug producers to shift production to Cambodia. Rory Byrne reports for VOA from Phnom Penh.

This meth lab recently discovered in Phnom Penh's Dangkor District is the largest ever discovered in Cambodia. Police at the scene confiscated laboratory machinery, $100,000 in counterfeit notes, guns and huge quantities of methamphetamines.

Police say the lab was used to manufacture and test new generations of increasingly potent illegal drugs.

Another so-called super-lab recently discovered in Kompong Speu province, west of Phnom Penh, was used to make the raw materials needed to produce methamphetamines.

Police say they discovered almost four tons of drug-producing chemicals, enough to make hundreds of thousands of pills.

Lars Pedersen is the head of the United Nations Office on Crime and Drugs in Cambodia. "This puts Cambodia in a higher league in terms of the drug problem. It's now clear that we have drug production taking place in Cambodia. The main drug, which is abused in the country -- and that goes through the country -- is metamphetamines."

The U.N. says 60 percent of the world's 25 million methamphetamine users are living in Asia. Eighty percent of those are under 26 years of age.

In the past, drug enforcement officials say traffickers used Cambodia solely as a transit point. Most drugs came down the Mekong River from Burma and Laos into Cambodia en route to Thailand and Vietnam. Some got shipped further to Australia, the U.S. and Europe.

Pedersen says that the recent discoveries of production facilities in Cambodia reflect a growing drug problem in the region. "It's part of a worsening trend in general in the region," he says. "But trafficking in Cambodia is also influenced -- trafficking and production for that matter -- is also influenced by the crackdowns in Thailand, by a tougher policy in Thailand and in China for that matter, also. So it's a matter for traffickers, producers, to find alternatives and this country is a very attractive alternative."

Robert Bruce is with GSM Consultancy and works with governments in the region to safely dispose of illegal drugs. He says that the Cambodian government and other partners deserve credit for acting quickly to try to contain the methamphetamine problem. "It's really unfortunate that Cambodia is being used as a production center but at the same time I think it's very good that the government is stepping in early, supported by donors and supported by other governments to take actions before it becomes more widespread."

Pedersen says methamphetamines made in Cambodia pose a threat to all countries. "We should not forget that it affects all of the rest of the world because drug production in the magnitude that we see here is not only intended for the Cambodian market, it is intended for the world market."

U.N. officials say that greater cooperation between law enforcement and government officials in the region is needed if the threat from illegal amphetamines is to be contained.

US Official Pushes for Prosecution of Drug Suspects

Chiep Mony, VOA Khmer
Original report from Kampong Speu
30 August 2007

The suspects arrested in an April raid of a drugs lab in Kampong Speu province need to be prosecuted, but a case against them should be legal and proper, a US political officer said.

Jennifer Spande, who attended a ceremony where drug-making chemicals was destroyed Thursday, said the US was counting on Cambodia's emerging rule of law to fairly prosecute the men behind the methamphetamine production.

"Certainly we would hope that the trial would be speedy and that it would be impartial," she said, adding that the suspects should have competent defense.

The April raid led to the arrest of a handful of workers at the drug lab in Kampong Speu province, as well as at least two suspected ring leaders. One of those, Oum Chhay, apparently leapt to his death from a police building in Phnom Penh during interrogation. A second man, Chea Long, is still under arrest.

Approximately 2.8 kilograms of six different drug-making chemicals were burned in the ceremony Thursday.

Lt. Gen. Keng Savong, deputy director of the national anti-drug authority, said authorities would continue pursuit of the drug production "criminal group" and "send it to the court in the near future."

UN Office on Drug and Crime representative Lars Pedersen said he was encouraged by the commitment government authorities showed in the drugs clean-up.

Nhiek Bun Chhay: Funcinpec spreads rumors

Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

On Monday, Nhiek Bun Chhay, Funcinpec secretary-general and vice-prime minister, accused the NRP of spreading rumors claiming that he is a suspect involved in the drug production in Kompong Speu. Nhiek Bun Chhay told The Cambodia Daily over the phone from Kompong Thom, that the rumors were spread by NRP officials because they want to frighten NRP party members from defecting to Funcinpec. Nhiek Bun Chhay said that the Phnom Penh municipal court, as well as the Ministry of Interior, told him that he is not a suspect in this case. Nhiek Bun Chhay said: “I am not involved in this drug case.” Muth Chantha, NRP spokesman, said that this rumor can be seen in a report published by the pro-SRP Sralanh Khmer newspaper. Muth Chantha said that Nhiek Bun Chhay’s accusation was made for political gain.

Cambodian official commits suicide over alleged involvement in drug case

August 22, 2007

Om Chhay, adviser for Cambodian National Assembly President Heng Samrin, committed suicide here on Tuesday morning during police detention over alleged involvement in drug case, officials said.

"I knew that Om Chhay died," Phnom Penh's Deputy Prosecutor Sok Kalyan said after conducting the autopsy of Om Chhay's body.

Om Chhay, also president of the Bantey Meanchey Provincial Commercial Chamber, killed himself by jumping off the building of the anti-drug authority of the Interior Ministry, leading to serious damage of his back and head, an official said on condition of anonymity.

At noon, the body of Om Chhay was handed over to his family for funeral ceremony.

Heng Samrin left for Malaysia on Monday and had denied any knowledge about Om Chhay's connection with the case.

According to Cambodian-language newspaper the Raksmey Kampuchea, Om Chhay was arrested on Aug. 15 near the border with Thailand, for being allegedly involved in the drug production case in Kompong Speu province, where the Cambodian police staged a raid on April 1 and arrested 18 people.

The chemicals found in the drug lab there were destroyed on Aug. 16. With the materials, over 54 million U.S. dollars worth of drugs could be produced.

In a related development, Chea Cheung, the alleged mastermind of the case, was arrested late on Tuesday in Savy Rieng province near the border with Vietnam and sent to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for questioning, police officers said on condition of anonymity.

Chea was former adviser for Deputy Prime Minister Nhiek Bun Chhay, but Chhay denied any connection with him.

Source: Xinhua

Chea Chung, Nhiek Bun Chhay’s former advisor, arrested for drug production

Saturday, August 18, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

A former advisor of Nhiek Bun Chhay was arrested by the police on 14 August 2007 and charged with involvement in illegal drug production in Kompong Speu province. The Rasmei Kampuchea reported that Chea Chung was arrested by the police when he returned back from Vietnam to Cambodia. Chea Chung was sent to the Ministry of Interior for additional questioning on a number of issues in order to find out about additional leaders and accomplices. On 01 April, the police raided a large drug lab at a cow farm owned by Chea Chung, a former advisor of Nhiek Bun Chhay. One of the drug labs is located in Treng Troyoeung commune, Phnom Sruoch district, Kompong Speu province, and the other one is located in Tuol Svay Prey commune, Chamcar Mon district, Phnom Penh city. Regarding this drug affair, a group of police officers also arrested Oknha Oum Chhay, an advisor of Heng Samrin, president of the National Assembly, on 15 August, at the Poipet international border gate, located in O’Chrov district, Banteay Meanchey province.

Heng Samrin: My advisor, the oknha, only transported the raw material to produce methamphetamine ... he is not deeply involved in the case -sic!-

Oum Chhay (L) is an advisor to Heng Samrin (R) (Photo: Sralanh Khmer newspaper)

Heng Samrin’s advisor arrested in drug-lab case

Friday, August 17, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

An oknha (rich businessman who purchased this honorific title for $100,000) who is the advisor of Heng Samrin, the president of the National Assembly, was arrested by the Banteay Meanchey provincial police on 15 August, at the Poipet international border gate. He is accused of being involved in a drug case. The Cambodia Daily quoted Khieu Sopheak, spokesman of the Ministry of Interior, saying that Oknha Oum Chhay, president of the Chhay Chhay Investment, and president of the Banteay Meanchey chamber of commerce, was arrested on Wednesday afternoon for helping the transportation of raw chemical material to produce methamphetamine drug in Kompong Speu province. Heng Samrin confirmed to The Cambodia Daily that indeed Oum Chhay is one of his advisors. However, Heng Samrin downplayed the arrest, saying that Oum Chhay has only a minor role in the (Kompong Speu) drug-lab. Heng Samrin said that Oum Chhay is only held for questioning and that he is not deeply involved in the case. A major drug lab located in Treng Troyoeung commune, Phnom Sruoch district, Kompong Speu province was raided by the authority last 01 April.

Cambodia is moving into methamphetamine production

Forty million methamphetamine pills seized in Asia last year

Tue, August 7, 2007
DPA

Some 40 million methamphetamine pills were seized and 100 clandestine methamphetamine labs raided last year in Asia, where 60 per cent of the world's 25 million abusers of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) reside, the United Nations revealed Tuesday.

Last year's increase in seizures of methamphetamine tablets and labs, while encouraging, demonstrates the rising menace of ATS in the Asian region where opium and heroin are fast becoming "out-dated," according to the latest regional drug report released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

"Recent clandestine drug laboratory seizures indicate that methamphetamine is produced on an industrial scale here" said Jeremy Douglas, regional project coordinator for the UNODC's East Asia and Pacific region.

Seizures of more than 100 clandestine methamphetamine laboratories were reported last year with half occurring in China, but other "super-labs" were raided in Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma and Cambodia, some of them targetting the export market.

While Burma remains the region's main producer of methamphetamines, China and Cambodia are moving into crystal methamphetamine, also known as ice or shabu shabu.

"Ice is very lucrative because of its purity. You can cut it later," said Douglas.

The Philippines is deemed the largest market in Asia for crystal methamphetmine, but shabu is also increasingly popular in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia and Japan.

Ordinary methamphetamines, also called yaa baa or "crazy drug," remain the main ATS sold in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Burma.

Of the 40 million yaa baa tablets seized by authorities last year, some 19.5 million were seized by Myanmar authorities, according to the UNODC figures.

"The 19.5 million seizure was the result of a very big sting operation in the Golden Triangle," said Douglas, referring to the tri-border area between Burma, Thailand and Laos which was once the world's main source of opium and heroin.

He claimed that the 19.5 million tablets were destined for the export market, most likely to neighbouring Thailand.

Burma is also the region's main source of opium and its derivative, heroin, but production has been cut drastically over the past decade.

"The hectares under opium cultivation in Burma have been reduced significantly over the last decade, which has coincided with an increase in ATS production," said Douglas.

Many anti-narcotics agents say Burma, while cracking down on opium and heroin production in their country, has turned a blind eye to the booming methamphetamine industry.

Meanwhile, a new generation of drug abusers has emerged in Asia.

"Heroin users tend to be older, while methamphetamines is really sweeping in top Asia's youth culture," Douglas said.

In Asia, the countries that still reported heroin as their number one drug abuse problem last year were China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma and Vietnam, according to the UNODC.

Elsewhere in Asia, methamphetamines have replaced heroin as the chief source of concern, the report concluded.

Drug Use, Production on the Rise, Officials Warn

Thida Win, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
26/06/2007

The number of drug users and producers in Phnom Penh is increasing, leading to threats as varied as AIDS and terrorism, a city official said Tuesday, as Cambodia celebrated an anti-drug day.

The increase of intravenous drug use threatened to spread HIV, and the increased production could lead to a rise in terrorism threats, Mop Sarin, Phnom Penh deputy governor, said at a speech in front of City Hall to mark the UN International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

"Drugs are a nuisance to security and well being, [and lead to] the spread of AIDS and terrorism," he said.

Phnom Penh Police Chief Touch Naruth said Phnom Penh was a transit point for heroine and methamphetamines throughout the region.

"Inactivity in society due to drug use has increased, leading to criminal acts such as robberies, murders, sexual abuse and traffic accidents," he said. "We have more serious problems facing society, such as the spread of AIDS."

In 2006 and the beginning of 2007, 58 drug cases have been prosecuted, leading to 92 detentions, including of 30 foreigners, he said.

Authority searching to arrest those involved in drug production

24 June 2007
By Phan Sophat
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

A Cambodian official said that the authority is continuing its search to arrest a number of people who are involved in a plan to conduct a large drug production in Kompong Speu province which was recently uncovered.

An anonymous high-ranking official told RFA that the file for the drug case in Kompong Speu province is not complete yet, and that those involved are high-ranking government officials.

On Friday, the Phnom Penh municipal court issued an arrest warrant for another general who is accused of drug involvement in Kompong Speu province.

Chum Tong Heng, a 2-star general working at the RCAF headquarters, was arrested by the court and is temporarily jailed in Prey Sar prison for collusion in drug trafficking.

Phnom Penh municipal court cannot be contacted to obtain information about the charge leveled against the general. However, local newspapers indicated today that Chum Tong Heng denied the charges leveled against him by the municipal court.

General Luor Ramin, the secretary-general of the anti-drug trafficking authority, told RFA that the arrest of General Chum Tong Heng is indeed because of his involvement in the drug production in Kompong Speu province.

Luor Ramin said: “The current case is an extension of the Kompong speu case, however, regarding the charge, the investigating judge is the one who knows about it because he has the case file in his hands.”

At the beginning of April, the Cambodian authority raided a large drug production plant in Treng Troyeung commune, Phnom Sruoch district, Kompong Speu province, and it seized about 6 tons of raw ingredients for drug production.

During the police raid, several people was arrested including both Cambodian laborers and foreigners, however, at that time, the authority said that it did not find all the major ringleaders in this drug production yet.