Vientiane Drug Prevention and Control Department last weekend arrested five men and seized 72 heroin bricks weighing 30kg, two cars, mobiles phone and other items in Nasangphay village, Xaysettha district.
Police had the accused under surveillance after receiving a tipoff that traffickers would be moving drugs from northern provinces to sell in Vientiane. They subsequently stopped the two target cars and found 72 bricks of heroin concealed within.
Those arrested were named as Mr. Thongvan, 34, Mr. Chengher, 36, both of Donethad village, Mr. Sengvang, 36, of Fay village, Mr. Chaporlee, 35, of Xaychalern village all of Bokeo province, and Mr. Porvang, 29, from Phonmany village, Nambak district, Luang Prabang province. All the men admitted to police they bought heroin from the northern provinces.
A Vientiane People’s Court official told Vientiane Times yesterday that according to the law of the Laos PDR anyone convicted of possessing over 500grams of heroin could be given the death penalty.
Meanwhile last month, Bokeo provincial police confiscated 200,000 amphetamine pills being transported by pick-up truck and detained the driver.
The police officer in charge of drug control and supervision in Bokeo province said after they received a tipoff that a quantity of illegal drugs was being transported through Tonpheung district they set up a roadblock outside Namkeung village police station and stopped a pick-up that was travelling at high speed.
Police searched the vehicle and found the 200,000 amphetamine pills. They arrested the driver, Mr. Maichandy, 27, of Xiengkokmay village in Long district, Luang Namtha province.
Mr. Maichandy confessed that a drug trafficker paid him 50,000 baht to take some pills to a customer in Huayxai district. He then went to pick up the pills from a man in Huaykhai village, Tonpheung district, after which he ran into the road block.
Police said the man had longbeeninvolvedinthedrug trade and they had wanted to arrest him for some time.
Police are continuing their investigations into the cases and trying to identify other people involved in the drug rings before sending the suspects to court.
In 2015, police solved 2,258 drug cases, and arrested 3,346 people including 90 foreigners. This was an increase of 600 cases compared to 2014, according to the Drug Control and Supervision Department.
Police also seized more than 6,330,000 amphetamine pills, 134 kg of heroin, 3,257 kg of dried cannabis, 176 kg of crystal methamphetamine (ice), 49.81 kg of raw opium, 6,690 kg of chemical precursors, and 1,552 kg of unidentified powder.
Source: Vientiane Times
