The Phnom Penh Municipal Court sentenced yesterday two foreigners to life in prison for allegedly possessing and transporting nearly 160 kilogrammes of ice from the Cambodia-Lao border to Phnom Penh in 2022.

The accused, Vietnamese national Nguyen Chunghoeng, 38, and Lao national Bun Soukeo Apoun, 25, were sentenced by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to life in prison and fined 80 million Riel (about $20,000) each.

The accused were charged with “drug possession, transport and trafficking” under Article 40 of the Law on Drug Control.

The duo were arrested at about 4pm on October 25, 2022 in Psar Thmey I commune in Phnom Penh’s Daun Penh district.

“They were arrested after police in the anti-drug department from the Ministry of Interior led by a deputy prosecutor raided their rental house,” he said.

They were arrested after they had transported drugs by private taxi from the Cambodia-Lao border in Stung Treng province to their rental house in Psar Thmey I commune aiming to distribute the drugs in the capital.

He added that after their arrest, police seized a total of 160 large packages of ice weighing nearly 160 kilogrammes.

• Tags: drug possession