Four Lao nationals were arrested by marine police in Thailand while attempting to smuggle frozen food across the Mekong River.
Bangkok Post reports that almost one tonne of frozen food was discovered by Thai police on Monday evening as it was being loaded into a longtail boat bound for Khammouane Province in Laos.
The items seized by police included frozen chicken, sausage, and meatballs.
Pol Maj Kittipong Puengchomphu, chief of That Phanom marine police, told the media that smuggling has become very profitable after border crossings in the province’s four border districts, including That Phanom, were closed due to the Covid-19 situation.
He said that he had heard reports of Laos suffering a shortage of consumer goods.
Smuggling remains a problem between the porous borders of Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand, including the trade in illegal substances, illegal wildlife, and human trafficking.
