Cambodia police says 10 foreigners held over indecent dance test negative for drugs

Cambodia police says 10 foreigners held over indecent dance test negative for drugs

NAN-F-17

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Phnom Penh, Jan. 31, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) Ten foreigners, charged in Cambodia with producing pornography related to indecent dancing at a party, have tested negative for drugs, police and Sourng Sophea, an attorney for the foreigners, said on Wednesday.

The 10 were arrested on Jan. 25 along with 77 other foreigners in a raid on the “Pub Crawl or Let’s Get Wet” event in Siem Reap province, home to the ancient Angkor Wat ruins.

A Cambodian police officer assigned to the case told Reuters that urine tests had not found any “addictive substance”.

Sophea, said the foreigners include five Britons, a Dutch citizen, two Canadians, a New Zealander and a Norwegian.

“The police had carried the drug tests at the prison where they are being held on Tuesday and found no addictive substance,” he said.

Siem Reap Provincial Court has charged the ten foreigners with producing pornography for their role in organising the party.

The other 77 foreigners arrested were freed after being educated about their unacceptable behavior.

They could face between one month and one year in prison if convicted.

Sophea said that the accused wanted to go home, and called on the authorities to expel them rather than keep them in prison.

“They want to go back to their home countries, they don’t want to be here anymore,” he said.

Canada’s Global Affairs Department said consular services had been provided to their detained citizens in Cambodia. (Reuters/NAN)

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Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole/Abdullahi Yusuf