A haul of 167 kg of ecstasy, ketamine and other drugs around Phnom Penh could lead to life imprisonment for an arrested Canadian national as police search for the narcotics’ origins, an official said on Tuesday.
Fu Yong Qing, 52, was arrested near Koh Pich following three raids that netted nearly 86,000 pink ecstasy tablets, 155,000 grey tablets and 50 kg of powder — more than 138 kg in ecstasy alone. Police also found ketamine and other drugs for a total 167 kg.
The three raids were in Sen Sok, Boeng Keng Kang’s Street 302 and a condo near Koh Pich, according to the National Authority on Combating Drugs.
The authority said Fu’s arrest followed that of two Thai nationals and four Cambodians on October 22 in Koh Kong province in a raid that netted more than 200 kg of drugs.
Meas Vyrith, the authority’s secretary-general, told VOD the investigation into the latest case would be continuing.
“We will search for more suspects who were involved in this case, as it is a large quantity of drugs. We will continue to investigate, find the root sources, and know the import origins as well as the distribution markets,” he said.
Vyrith added that Fu potentially faced a long time in jail.
“The conviction will depend on the results of the investigation and [his] involvement,” Vyrith said. “I think he will be convicted for the rest of his life if the numbers are true.”
The U.N.’s Office of Drugs and Crime warned earlier this year that organized crime was increasingly targeting Cambodia for ecstasy and meth production.
