400 Dogs to be Sent for Drugs Detection
Photo: Ministry of Interior
- By Lay Sopheavotey
- May 30, 2024 1:00 PM
PHNOM PENH — The Interior Ministry plans to provide 400 trained dogs to capital-provincial police to help crack down on drug trafficking and production.
During his visit to Banteay Meanchey and Battambang provinces on May 27-28, Interior Minister Sar Sokha noted that most drugs and addictive substances for processing and trafficking are illegally imported and exported by land to and from other regional countries by land and by air.
Sokha called on provincial administrations and police to pay great attention to investigations at any area suspected of producing drugs. Such areas include high buildings or vast warehouses, land for sale in rural areas, clubs, KTVs and bars.
Individuals who are involved with drugs, human trafficking and e-cigarettes must be identified and monitored.
“Prepare 400 dogs to detect drugs to give to capital-provincial police, and restrict cross-border drug deals,” he said.
Ministry spokesperson Touch Sokhak said the ministry’s working group has cooperated with the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC) to breed and train dogs for drug or additive substance detection.
The ministry will give the trained dogs to the provinces near the border and to the areas in which drug deals happen the most.
“The plan to combat drugs requires a step-by-step approach and technical tools. We will train those dogs with police, because it’s hard to track down drugs,” Sokhak said.
“However, if we depend on the dogs, it will be easier and more efficient.”
Since early this year, Banteay Meanchey provincial police have cracked down on 175 drug trafficking cases, and arrested over 200 suspects. For Battambang province, the provincial police operated on 324 drug cases, and arrested 565 suspects in the first four months.
From January to May, the national police cracked down on 3,620 drug cases, arresting nearly 9,000 suspects. In 2023, they seized more than three tonnes of drugs.
Originally written in Khmer for ThmeyThmey, this story was translated by Meng Seavmey for Cambodianess.
