Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – Recently, the Sihanoukville Provincial Primary Court in Cambodia delivered its first-instance verdict in a major case involving defendants of Chinese, Vietnamese, and Cambodian nationality, concerning the manufacture and trafficking of drugs, money laundering, and illegal possession of firearms. All nine defendants were sentenced, with five ringleaders receiving life imprisonment.
According to a statement released by the Sihanoukville Provincial Primary Court, after multiple public hearings and a comprehensive review of evidence, the judge formally read the verdict in court on March 11. The court found the five defendants guilty of manufacturing and trafficking drugs, money laundering, and illegal possession of firearms, and sentenced them to life imprisonment.
The five ringleaders sentenced to life imprisonment are: Do Thien Quang (25 years old, Vietnamese national), Xiao Qihong (33 years old, Chinese national), Zhang Chu Yu (32 years old, Chinese national), Tang Zhang Wei (38 years old, Chinese national), and Heng Lieta (38 years old, Cambodian national).
In addition, the court also issued corresponding rulings against the remaining four defendants involved in the case. Defendants Zhu Xiao Long, Le Thianh Bing, Tang Zhang Bing, and Yang Chen Xiong were sentenced to two years imprisonment for "conspiracy to illegally possess drugs." It is understood that all foreign defendants will be deported after serving their sentences and permanently banned from re-entering Cambodia.
This case originated from a joint law enforcement operation in June 2024. At that time, the Cambodian Anti-Drug Bureau, together with the Sihanoukville Provincial Police, conducted in-depth investigations and precise surveillance, successfully cracking this major drug case, seizing a large quantity of drugs and related tools at the scene, and arresting the aforementioned nine suspects.
This verdict once again demonstrates the Cambodian judiciary's firm stance of "zero tolerance" for drug crimes, money laundering, and illegal possession of firearms, and reflects its unwavering determination to severely crack down on all types of illegal activities and maintain social security and stability.
