Cambodian police burn four tons of seized "ecstasy" ingredients

Jun 2, 2009, 8:24 GMT

    Phnom Penh - Cambodian authorities on Tuesday burned four tons of ingredients used in the drug ecstasy after a series of raids that led to the arrest of four people, including two Chinese citizens.

   Mek Dara, secretary general of the National Authority for Combating Drugs, said military police burned three tons of the sassafras plant, from which the ecstasy chemical ingredient MDMA is derived, along with one ton of other chemicals used to make the drug.

   'We conducted a series of raids in Phnom Penh, Kampong Cham province and Takeo province over the weekend and arrested four people involved in importing this plant from China and growing it in Cambodia,' he said. 'Two Chinese citizens were arrested in these raids along with a Cambodian man and a Cambodian woman.'

   Mek Dara said the destruction of the ingredients Tuesday morning in Phnom Penh was supervised by Australian and US drug-trafficking specialists.

   He said the four suspects were detained and would face court this week.

   Cambodia last year introduced legislation to ban the trade in oil from the sassafras plant, which was being illicitly exported to Vietnam and Thailand.