Cambodia: Vietnamese Nationals Appeal Life Sentences in Major Drug Trafficking Case

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Three Vietnamese nationals, sentenced to life imprisonment by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for trafficking over 25 kilograms of drugs, have appealed their convictions to the Phnom Penh Court of Appeal. The Criminal Chamber of the Phnom Penh Court of Appeal held a hearing on September 15, 2026, but postponed the announcement of the verdict until September 22, 2026. The appellants are Nguyen Manh Ha, male, 30 years old, Vietnamese; Yuong Duc, male, 36 years old, Vietnamese; and Nguyen Thi Lan, female, 41 years old, Vietnamese. These three defendants were arrested by officials from the Anti-Drug Crimes Department on May 20, 2024, at a condominium located in Sangkat Boeung Kok 1, Khan Tuol Kork, Phnom Penh. During the arrest, a large quantity of various types of narcotics totaling over 25 kilograms, along with over 81 kilograms of chemical precursors, were seized. It is noteworthy that in April 2015, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court heard this case and sentenced the defendants to life imprisonment and a fine of 100 million riels (approximately $25,000 USD) each for the illegal possession, trafficking, and manufacturing of narcotics. Source: Koh Santepheap Khmer