A military official said a joint-patrol along the Cambodian-Thai border by soldiers and border police in Battambang province’s Kamrieng district discovered a cache of 42 rifle magazines and 508 bullets on October 19.

The official from Kamrieng district told The Post on condition of anonymity that at 5pm that day, police from border guard unit 819 and soldiers from the 53rd brigade were patrolling the border when they found a bag full of ammunition near a stream in Trang commune.

“[We] found 508 12.7mm bullets and 42 magazines loaded with AK ammunition. Currently, the bullets and magazines are being stored at the 53rd brigade headquarters for further investigation,” he said.

Ruon Thary, deputy military commander based in Kamrieng district, told The Post that the police are now searching for those responsible for hiding the ammunition to prosecute them for arms smuggling.

Morng Ty, commander of border guard unit 819, declined to comment on the case, citing an ongoing investigation.