Meas Vyrith, secretary-general of the National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD), has insisted on intensified efforts against drug-related issues.
Speaking in alignment with the 2023 national focus, he said: “We must work tirelessly for the Cambodian people to eradicate discrimination against drug addicts and strengthen preventive education.”
On July 11, nearly 40kg of confiscated drugs from Battambang province and neighbouring Pursat were incinerated in the former’s provincial town.
Vyrith commented on the NACD’s role. “We stand united in the fight against drug crimes, rescuing addicts and eliminating apathy at the community level.”
Keo Socheat, Battambang’s provincial court prosecutor, indicated that legal authorities seized and destroyed the substances based on verdicts from both provincial courts.
They dealt with 286 cases involving a total of approximately 39.7kg of illegal substances.
Battambang governor Sok Lou highlighted the role of the two drug rehabilitation centres in the province, saying he viewed them as crucial in treating addicts and offering them vocational training.
“Due to expedited legal procedures, we’ve been able to destroy these drugs now. Without the court’s support, we could’ve been waiting until next year,” he noted.
During the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 28, Minister of Interior Sar Kheng supervised the destruction of over five tonnes of drugs and precursor chemicals.
In their seventh anti-drug report, the NACD revealed that in 2022, law enforcement handled 6,390 drug offences, arresting over 15,000 people and confiscating nearly 15 tonnes of drugs.
