Cambodia Destroys 19 Tons of Counterfeit Drugs

Officials in Cambodia recently destroyed approximately 19 tons of counterfeit drugs that had been seized from illicit sources.

The drugs were incinerated along with a number of expired medications and foods that were laced with chemicals, according to the Phnom Penh Post.

Mok Chito, director of the Interior Ministry’s criminal police, said that counterfeit drugs present a danger to the public health.

“These fake drugs are very dangerous to people’s health if they are circulated at markets,” he told the news source. “We have collected them since March this year in order to burn them.”

Currently, Cambodia is working with its neighbor to the east, Vietnam, to combat the problem of counterfeit drugs. Ke Kim Yan, chairman of the National Authority for Combating Drugs, and 22 other delegates recently went to Vietnam to meet with officials from that nation.

“The official visit … was made in an attempt to strengthen bilateral cooperation on the issue of illegal drugs, and to exchange experience between the two countries,” Neak Yuthea, director of the ministry’s Department of Legislation, Education and Rehabilitation, told the news provider of the trip.

Counterfeit drugs can hurt consumers because they are not regulated or inspected for quality