Background
The National Police of Cambodia coordinates provincial police units and specialized anti‑narcotics teams to conduct interdiction, arrest, and seizure operations against illicit drugs. The Law on Drugs provides legal authority for arrest, search, seizure and prosecution of persons involved in possession, distribution, and trafficking of controlled substances.
On 16 May 2026 the National Police reported a coordinated set of anti‑narcotics operations across multiple provinces that resulted in arrests and physical seizures of methamphetamine. The operation produced documented case counts, detainee numbers and a consolidated narcotics weight figure that are recorded in official enforcement reporting.
Key Developments
National Police reported 17 separate anti‑narcotics cases on 16 May 2026, resulting in the arrest of 55 suspects (including six women). The arrests broken down by alleged offence type were: 6 cases of trafficking with 23 arrests (4 women), 5 cases of transport/storage with 11 arrests (2 women), and 6 cases of use with 21 arrests.
Total narcotics seized during the operations amounted to 483.21 grams of methamphetamine (commonly called “ice”). Provincial results reported by the National Police were:
- Phnom Penh: operations reported; arrests recorded (national statement highlighted urban enforcement).
- Kampong Chhnang: 2 storage cases (4 arrested, 1 woman), 1 use case (1 arrested), and 1 arrest during a search seizing 1.37 g of methamphetamine.
- Kampong Speu: 1 trafficking case (2 arrested, 1 woman); methamphetamine seized: 194.93 g.
- Kratie: 2 trafficking cases (12 arrested, 3 women), 1 use case (1 arrested) and 1 arrest during a search seizing 110.01 g of methamphetamine.
- Preah Vihear: 2 trafficking cases (4 arrested); methamphetamine seized: 101.57 g.
- Siem Reap: 1 trafficking case (5 arrested), 1 storage case (2 arrested), 1 use case (14 arrested); methamphetamine seized: 73.09 g.
- Takeo: 2 storage cases (5 arrested, 1 woman), 1 use case (1 arrested) and 1 arrest during a search seizing 2.24 g of methamphetamine.
Institutional Role
The operation involved seven provincial units aligned under National Police command, reflecting coordination between central police authorities and provincial directorates. Provincial police directorates execute investigations, arrests and physical evidence custody in line with national procedures for criminal investigation and case referral to prosecutors.
Operational Implications
The case counts and seizure totals provide a discrete, date‑stamped record for law enforcement activity that can be referenced in enforcement statistics and interagency reporting. Arrests were categorized by alleged function (trafficking, transport/storage, use), which corresponds to standard operational classifications used by Cambodian policing agencies in narcotics enforcement.
