Cambodian Police Trained to Investigate Fake Drugs

Cambodian police and malaria experts announced they are combining efforts to effectively combat malaria as well as curb the sale and smuggling of counterfeit and substandard drugs.

“The Ministry of Health has done a lot of work, but it would not be able to do anything without the cooperation of the police,” explained General Ben Rath, Vice Commissioner for Phnom Penh Municipal Police.

In order to build police capacity to effectively search and clear out counterfeit medications, The National Centre for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control (CNM) organized a three-day training of trainers’ workshop for 55 senior police officers from 24 cities and provinces across the country. The workshop taught investigative techniques for the identification of fake and substandard malaria drugs that have been smuggled and sold in the country, reported Malaria Containment.

“Malaria parasites in the ASEAN region are now resistant to almost all anti-malarial drugs, with the exception of drug combinations containing derivatives of artemisinin (artemisinin-based combination therapy, or ACT). Because artemisinin derivatives are remarkably rapid in their anti-malarial effects, they are much sought after. But as they are relatively expensive a demand is created for cheaper versions amongst the poorest and most vulnerable people, upon whom the counterfeiters prey — with fatal results,” reports Moeun Chhean Nariddh, in Malaria Containment.

General Un Sovannthy, Deputy Chief of the Anti-Economic Crime Police Department, said that the combat against substandard and fake medicine would be more effective if the village leaders could also be trained to identify and distinguish good drugs from fake drugs.

Dr. Duong Socheat, Director of the National Malaria Center, agreed that institutions must cooperate in the fight counterfeit drugs and malaria and said getting rid of fake and substandard drugs is important in combating malaria in Cambodia, reported Malaria Containment.

“As you know, there are counterfeit medicines in Cambodia,” he said. “Malaria can cause death but it is preventable.”