Cambodia arrests 14,722 drug suspects in 9 months

[geovalin]

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian authorities had arrested 14,722 drug-related suspects, including 331 foreigners, during the first nine months of 2023, the country's Anti-Drug Department said in a report on Sunday. Some 51 percent of the suspects were drug traffickers, manufacturers and transporters, while the rest were drug users, the report said.

 

"A total of 2.68 tonnes of illicit drugs and some 911 kilograms of ingredients were seized in the suspects' possession during the January-September period of 2023," the report said. Most of the seized drugs were ketamine, heroin, ecstasy, cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, methamphetamine pills, and cathinone.

 

Compared to the same period last year, Cambodia saw a spike in drug arrests, but a decline in drug seizures, the report said, adding that the kingdom arrested 11,431 drug suspects, confiscating 6.25 tonnes of narcotics during the first nine months of 2022. The Southeast Asian country has no death sentence for drug traffickers. Under its law, someone found guilty of trafficking more than 80 grams of illicit drugs could be jailed for life.

 

https://english.news.cn/20231001/d592d26f5a424ac9957821226f6b3201/c.html

 

[Deserted]

If you think drugs are rife in Thailand, go to Cambodia. You can't walk more than 5 meters in Phnom Penh by the riverside without someone offering you something -and that's on a good day.

[Harsh Jones]

That's a shame. For many men living in total squalor , the drug business is profitable enough to give them purpose. The govt should just turn a blind eye. Drug prohibition is pure madness brought on by the US anyway.

 

Now the govt ruined 14722 lives. And they have to pay to charge and incarcerate them. For what ?

[Deserted]

There's truth in that, many sell just to get by because its all they've got. 

[Andre0720]

On 4/18/2024 at 7:35 AM, Harsh Jones said:

That's a shame. For many men living in total squalor , the drug business is profitable enough to give them purpose. The govt should just turn a blind eye. Drug prohibition is pure madness brought on by the US anyway.

 

Now the govt ruined 14722 lives. And they have to pay to charge and incarcerate them. For what ?

One might argue that these people had already ruined their lives.

In our previous generation back home, people knew nothing about drugs, and were able to develop a purpose.

 

There are pressures now to go back to laws that criminalizes these drugs, because of the failure following de-criminalization. Just made society worse. Downtown used to be such a nice place to go shopping, go to cafes, restaurants, and fresh fruit market.

Now some people are just moving out, since it has become too dangerous an area.

There is a reason for that... Addicts and sellers on the streets, and homeless people roaming the streets, as they spent all they had on drugs.

 

[JackGats]

3 hours ago, Andre0720 said:

...

 

There are pressures now to go back to laws that criminalizes these drugs, because of the failure following de-criminalization. Just made society worse. ...

 

Which decriminalisation?

 

There hasn't been any. Which obviouly doesn't prevent it to be declared a failure.