Drug traffickers handed 30 years to life in prison


Buth Reaksmey Kongkea

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court sentenced four suspected drug traffickers yesterday from 30 years to life in prison for allegedly possessing and trafficking nearly four kilogrammes of ecstasy and ice in 2022.

Presiding Judge Thorn Porhiek identified the four suspects as Nuth Keosara, 23, Pon Bunneang also known as Pek, 36, Pen Saochum, 31, and Sok Youphou, 27.

Judge Porhiek stated that Keosara, who is the mastermind of the drug trafficking ring and the owner of the seized drugs, was sentenced to life in prison and fined 40 million Riels ($10,000) while Bunneang, Saochum and Youphou were sentenced to 30 years and fined 30 million Riels ($7,500) each.

He added that they were charged with “drug possession, transport and trafficking” under Article 40 of the Law on Drugs Control.

The four were arrested at different locations on October 19 and 21, 2022 in Chamkarmon and Dangkor districts in Phnom Penh, he said.

The first arrested was Bunneang at about 10.30pm on October 19 in Phsar Deum Thkov commune, Chamkamon district, and was found in possession of a package of ice,.

Bunneang’s confession lead to the arrests of Keosara, Saochum and Youphou at about 1.30am on October 21 at their rental house in Chbar Ampov district’s Prek Eng commune in the capital.

After the suspects’ arrest, police in the municipal anti-drug department from the Ministry of Interior seized nearly four kilogrammes of ecstasy and ice, one car, two motorbikes, one scale and other drug-related materials.

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