PHNOM PENH: The Ministry of Agriculture is cooperating with drug authorities to study and identify agricultural fertilizers that can be converted into drugs after finding cases of this being done.

The Director General of the General Department of Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Ngin Chhay, said that the Ministry of Agriculture has sent a team of experts in cooperation with the Drug Authority of the Ministry of Interior, to study and research the import of agricultural fertilizers that can be converted into drugs, which negatively affects the health of the people and leads to losses in the national economy.

He said that the Ministry of Agriculture will review the application for the import of agricultural fertilizers by looking at the substances related to drugs, because usually 90% of agricultural fertilizers contain only three components: NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium). In addition, there are two other substances, often found in these fertilizers: manganese and calcium.

He added that the Ministry of Agriculture and the department of the Ministry of Interior in charge of cracking down on drugs will discuss this work in detail and take action against fraudsters who import fertilizers related to drugs in accordance with the law.

Previously, the Minister of Interior, Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng, instructed the Ministry of Agriculture to check and prevent the import of drug ingredients legally after the authorities found that the drug ingredients that criminals ask to import to the fertilizer is used to process drugs.