Over seven tons of illegal drugs and chemicals have been destroyed by Cambodian officials.
Heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, ecstasy, and ketamine were among the 4.1 tons of drugs that were destroyed.
The destroyed drugs, according to Gen. Meas Virith, had a street value of around $70 million and a wholesale value of $22.7 million.
On Friday, authorities in Cambodia destroyed over seven tons of illegal narcotics and their constituents. The official in charge of countering drug use stated that the most effective approach to battle the illegal trade is to educate people about the dangers of drugs.
The National Authority for Combating Drugs reported that drugs, including heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, ecstasy, and ketamine, accounted for almost 4.1 tons of the destroyed goods. These drugs had been seized from drug traffickers all over the nation. It stated that the remaining 3.2 tons were made up of different chemicals and other components that are used to make illicit narcotics.
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The drug-fighting agency’s secretary general, Gen. Meas Virith, stated that the drugs, estimated to have a wholesale worth of $22.7 million and a street value of around $70 million, were burned in a brick kiln at a ceremony outside of Phnom Penh. He claimed that they may have hurt millions of people if they hadn’t been apprehended.
He noted that raising awareness of the risks associated with illegal substances among Cambodians in all areas of life is the greatest method to combat them right now. Instead of only taking harsh action against individuals who use or traffic illegal narcotics, he said, it is better to educate people about avoiding doing so.
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“As you are aware, we must repeatedly employ crackdown tactics if that is all we do. “Let us burn these this year and repeat the process next year,” he remarked. “But if we invest in drug education, awareness, and protection, then drug activities would be reduced.”
Meas Virith reported that during the first five months of this year, the police investigated over 3,800 drug-related offenses and detained over 10,000 persons, including international nationals.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reports that the manufacturing and trafficking of synthetic drugs, particularly methamphetamine, are at record highs throughout Southeast Asia and represent a serious threat to the region’s societies.
“Seizures of crystal methamphetamine have increased year-by-year in Cambodia for the seventh year in a row, reaching over 1.4 tons in 2023, showing the ongoing expansion of the market for the drug in the country,” according to a study released by the United Nations last month.
The quantity of heroin confiscated doubled in 2023. Many East and Southeast Asian countries saw an increase in heroin seizures, which may suggest that the heroin market in the area is rebounding following a decline in seizures the year before.”
