In brief
In the first ten months of 2026, Cambodia logged 25,360 drug arrests, up 16.3% from the prior year, according to the Anti‑Drug Department. Yet seized narcotics declined to 4.26 tons from 5.48 tons in 2025, with 73 firearms and 27 homemade rifles confiscated. The crackdown engaged both traffickers and users, including 1,248 foreign nationals from 25 countries.
From January to October 2026, Cambodia reported 25,360 drug‑related arrests, a 16.3 percent rise from the 21,800 arrests logged during the same period in 2025, the Anti‑Drug Department (ADP) said on Sunday. The crackdown targeted both traffickers, manufacturers and users alike, with 48.3 percent of the detainees identified as traffickers, manufacturers, possessors or transporters and 51.7 percent recorded as drug users.
Foreign nationals accounted for 1,248 of the total arrests, representing 25 different nationalities, the ADP report indicated. The department said that authorities seized 4.26 tons of illicit drugs and 537 kilograms of dry cannabis between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31, 2026, a decrease from the 5.48 tons of narcotics and 516 kilograms of dry marijuana seized during the same timeframe in 2025.
In addition to narcotics, the ADP noted that 73 pistols and 27 homemade rifles were confiscated, underscoring the link the authorities see between drug trafficking and firearms sales. The seized drugs mainly consisted of ketamine, ecstasy, heroin, crystal methamphetamine, methamphetamine pills, cocaine and cathinone, the report added.
While Cambodia does not impose the death penalty for drug offenses, national law allows for life imprisonment for anyone convicted of trafficking more than 80 grams of illicit drugs, the report said. The ADP emphasized that its ongoing combat measures are meant to deter both distribution and consumption of controlled substances.
Officials at the ADP highlighted that the month‑to‑month trend had shown a gradual uptick in arrests, suggesting that enforcement operations have intensified across the country. The department cited increased patrols in border provinces and expanded use of surveillance technology as key factors in the higher arrest tally.
Criminal‑justice experts point out that the decline in seized narcotics could reflect either a reduction in trafficking activity or a shift toward more clandestine, low‑volume smuggling operations that escape detection. The ADP has not released information on the specific routes used or the estimated value of the interdicted drugs.
Social‑media groups advocating for drug‑policy reform in Cambodia have called for more transparency in the department’s reporting methodology. They argue that understanding the full scope of drug seizures would help evaluate the real effectiveness of the policy measures in place, the groups added.
The 25,360 arrests include both men and women across all age groups, but the ADP did not provide a gender breakdown. No judicial outcomes, such as prosecutions or convictions, were disclosed in the report.
The ADP’s findings will be reviewed by the Ministry of Interior, which will decide whether to adjust penalties or revise tactical approaches in the coming months, according to the original communiqué. The department reaffirmed its commitment to continued collaboration with international partners to counter cross‑border drug trafficking.
