TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Three Taiwanese men with criminal records were sentenced to 20 years in prison for selling ketamine in Cambodia.

The Cambodian Phnom Penh Basic Court on Tuesday (Aug. 20) found the men surnamed Yang (楊), Zhuang (莊), and Wu (吳) guilty of drug trafficking, per CNA. All three men possessed criminal records for drug trafficking or fraud in Taiwan, while Wu is still a wanted criminal.

Cambodian media reported the men were seized by police in Phnom Penh in November 2023 for possessing 2.14 kg of ketamine. Each was sentenced to 20 years in prison and handed down a fine of 30 million riels (NT$235,000), subject to appeal. 

In Cambodia, initial trials impose harsh sentences, and sentencing for drug cases is often 20 years in prison regardless of the amount of drugs seized, reports said. Drug trafficking of more than 80 grams can receive a sentence of life imprisonment. 

There are nearly 1,000 Taiwanese fugitives in Cambodia, according to local media. Just this month, there have been five cases in the news of Taiwanese being arrested and sentenced for drug-related crimes.