Kratom leaves being harvested for processing into an 'energy' juice. Inset: Bottles of a drink containing kratom extract in Banteay Meanchey province’s Poipet town. - CNC
PHNOM PENH: The National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD) requested that authorities in all 25 capital-provinces submit reports on the presence of kratom plants to facilitate studies and inform policy decisions.
This follows the discovery of the plant being used in drug production in a border province.
NACD secretary-general Meas Vyrith asked provincial and municipal authorities to provide detailed reports on kratom plants to gather statistics and identify in which provinces it grows, according to Lim Tong Huot, director of the NACD’s Education and Public Relations Department.
“Kratom is a plant that can be extracted to produce narcotics. The NACD has requested reports from provinces regarding kratom, but not all provinces have responded yet because its presence varies,” he told The Post on Wednesday (Aug 21).
“We do not yet have specific numbers on how many plants there are, but it appears that the numbers are low, and we cannot precisely determine where it is growing. Therefore, we have asked the provinces to provide data on the number of plants and their locations,” he added.
Tong Huot noted that kratom has already been found on plantations in Banteay Meanchey province, which borders Thailand, but initially, the locals were unaware that it could be used to produce illicit drugs.
He said that while kratom is banned under Thai law, it is not yet regulated under Cambodia’s drug control laws, unlike marijuana. This prompted Vyrith to request detailed reports on July 23 regarding the cultivation, import, processing and use of kratom plants or leaves.
According to a letter signed by Vyrith, the technical working group of the Ministry of Health and the NACD’s laboratory working group plan to conduct in-depth research and gather factual information.
It said this research will be used to prepare a report for government leadership, which will serve as the foundation for policy guidelines or measures regarding the cultivation and production of kratom and related products.
Authorities in Banteay Meanchey have conducted research and discovered the production of kratom leaf juice at more than 10 locations in Poipet town.
The activity has not yet been observed in other provinces, according to provincial governor Um Reatrey, who spoke during an interview about the progress of the first six months of 2024 with the Ministry of Interior.
“Kratom leaves were being produced and sold to people for consumption... these leaves cause users to stay awake and feel aggressive,” he said.
“Cambodians were employed in the production, but most of the employers are Thai, following a pattern from Thailand,” he added.
The governor mentioned that all relevant authorities have taken administrative measures to crack down on these locations, educating the involved parties and requiring them to sign contracts agreeing to cease production and distribution activities.
Additionally, he said the authorities have collected all evidence and stored it for destruction.
The governor added that the police, military police and other relevant authorities are continuing their investigation into the issue.
Chea Piseth, director of the Oddar Meanchey provincial administration, which also borders Thailand, stated that after receiving the NACD’s request, authorities conducted research by interviewing residents about the presence of kratom.
However, they found no evidence of the plant.
He said the provincial administration has already reported their findings to the NACD. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
