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PHNOM PENH, July 23 -- Cambodian and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) senior officials met here on Monday to discuss ways to strengthen and expand cooperation in drug combat.
Drug is still a matter of concern to Cambodia as criminals have used and attempted to use the country as a drug transit point and a base for illegal drug production for exporting to the third country, Ke Kim Yan, chairman of the National Authority for Combating Drugs, said in the meeting.
However, he said, the country has subsequently smashed down and the perpetrators have been seriously punished in accordance to the law.
For instance, he said, on July 14, the drug authority had seized the largest ever drug-production equipment and 19 tons of chemical substances thought to be precursor ingredients for illicit drug manufacturing.
He said those equipment and chemical substances in containers were confiscated at the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port as criminals tried to import them to Cambodia.
In the meeting, Gary Lewis, UNODC Regional Representative for East Asia and the Pacific, hailed Cambodia for its largest ever drug crackdown.
He said that the UNODC will continue helping Cambodia in drug issues including drug rehabilitation project, law enforcement, and equipment and supplies for drug fight.
It is estimated that Cambodia has between 5,000 and 6,000 drug users, most of them are youths.
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