The Cambodian government Thursday launched a cleanup of more than 5 tons of drug precursors seized during an April police raid on an illegal drug lab in Kompong Speu province.
The cleanup, which is conducted by the National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD) of Cambodia and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), began on Thursday morning after a ceremony at the site presided by Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sar Kheng.
On April 1, Cambodian police arrested 18 people during raids in Phnom Penh and Traeng Trayueng commune in Kompong Speu's Phnom Sruoch district, confiscating about 5.8 tons of precursor chemicals, including about 2.9 tons of thionyl chloride and six other kinds of chemicals, Teng Savong, Permanent Vice Chairman of NACD, said at the ceremony.
These precursor chemicals found at the lab are technically estimated to be used for manufacturing one ton of methamphetamine or about 54,500,000 tablets, equal 54,500,000 U.S. dollars, he added.
"This marked the first time for us to discover the laboratory which produces synthesized drugs," Sar Kheng said while addressing the ceremony.
The eradication of the precursor chemicals is implemented with two phases, Teng Savong said.
First, they began on Thursday to use three chemicals to neutralize the very hazardous thionyl chloride, he said, adding that after they dilute it seven days later, they will burn the other six kinds of chemicals, using safety kiln equipment.
The U.S. and Australia each provided half of the estimated 120, 000 U.S. dollars needed to depose of the chemicals, he said.
Source: Xinhua
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