Drug Trafficking on Rise, Official Says

[geovalin]

he chairman of the National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD) declared yesterday that small-scale drug trafficking incidents were on the rise across the Kingdom, and inmates convicted of drug-related crimes placed in cells with other prisoners were more likely to increase instances of drug use and trafficking in prisons. Speaking at an NACD meeting at the Interior Ministry yesterday, chairman Ke Kim Yan said drug use and trafficking were making people concerned about its spread into their neighborhoods.
 

“Drug-related crimes were filed more than last year and cases of small-scale drug trafficking have increased in almost every province,” he said, adding that concerned citizens had criticized the authorities over this issue despite recent efforts by police to clamp down on large-scale drug trafficking. Mr. Kim Yan added that Cambodia cooperated with neighboring countries to fight drug trafficking, but still faced problems with users and drug-related criminals.
 

He said most drug users do not receive treatment or attend rehabilitation centers, especially in Phnom Penh, and some provinces do not have social affairs centers to help resolve their issues. Mr. Kim Yan said there are about 16,000 drug users throughout the country, but only about 44 percent, or 7,000, have received treatment.

 

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