Illegal drugs are destroyed by authorities on Koh Pich in 2023. Post staff
Since Cambodian authorities began focussing their attention on the issue of illegal narcotics in 2017, the Kingdom has seen a vast number of seizures. In anti-drug campaigns from 2017 to the end of 2024, officers confiscated over 42 tonnes of drugs and more than 596 tonnes of chemical precursors.
Despite this, drug-related activities show no significant signs of decline.
The “10th National Anti-Drug Plan” – which will be implemented by the National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD) from January 1 to the end of 2025 – detailed the results of previous efforts.
It noted that since the campaigns began, the authorities have shuttered 48 drug-related businesses and launched multiple crackdowns that resulted in the arrests of tens of thousands of suspects.
Approximately 42,848 kg of drugs and 596,399 kg of chemical precursors were impounded. Additionally, multiple assets linked to drug-related crimes were seized, including the freezing of multiple properties.
During this period, law enforcement dismantled 627 organised drug crime operations, arresting 195 key ringleaders and 1,453 other individuals who were connected to drug trafficking networks. These cases were forwarded to the courts for legal prosecution.
It also placed 145,790 drug users in rehabilitation programs, with 81,675 of them successfully reintegrated into society after undergoing treatment.
In addition to enforcement efforts, authorities also conducted 756,934 educational campaigns, reaching millions of people with drug awareness messages.
“Despite these efforts, Cambodia continues to struggle with persistent drug-related crimes, including consumption, distribution, trafficking and production,” said the document.
It noted that drug production and trafficking continue to be prevalent in the areas such as the “Golden Triangle” and the “Golden Crescent”, where drug syndicates continuously adapt their tactics and exploit advanced technologies to manufacture new types of narcotics while evading law enforcement.
Prime Minister Hun Manet issued a statement alongside the anti-drug plan.
“We have identified new emerging challenges, including the smuggling of chemical substances under the guise of agricultural and industrial materials, the shifting of trafficking routes and entry points, and the evolving methods of illicit drug production,” he said.
“The ongoing concern, which poses a serious risk to national security, is the continuous spread of drug use within communities. This issue requires urgent and effective intervention as a top priority,” he added.
The 10th National Anti-Drug Plan aims to further reduce the negative impact of drug-related activities while building a safer and healthier society for all citizens and preserving national integrity, explained the document.
The plan follows similar previous frameworks, focusing on education, administrative measures, rehabilitation and reintegration, law enforcement, government-led drug testing for civil servants and armed forces under directive 01, and enhanced international cooperation to combat drug-related crimes across borders.
Deputy Prime Minister Neth Savoeun, who also serves as chairman of the NACD, will lead the implementation of the campaign.
