Laos Drug Kingpin Sisouk Daoheuang Sentenced to Death

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Sisouk Daoheuang
Sisouk Daoheuang making his appearance at court.

The Vientiane Capital People’s Court has sentenced infamous drug kingpin Sisouk Daoheuang to death for drug-related offenses.

The 45-year-old was sentenced to death yesterday after being charged for a number of offenses, including drug trafficking, money laundering, and illegal firearms trading, Lao Security News reports.

Four other individuals related to the case, including a 60-year-old woman, were also handed prison terms ranging from four to seven years.

Mr. Sisouk fled authorities after the dramatic arrest of his accomplice, drug kingpin Xaysana Keophimpa at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok.

Following international coordination, authorities arrested Mr. Sisouk and two other suspects on 1 March 2017 in Luang Prabang Province, transporting them to Vientiane Capital for questioning.

Xaysana was arrested in Jan 2017 at Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport following a five-year investigation by Lao and Thai authorities.

On 10 Jan 2017, police arrested another major drug trafficker, 50-year-old Khonpasong Soukkaseum, said to be even bigger than Xaysana and Sisouk.

The Lao government last year declared drug prevention and control a national agenda, which calls for decisive action and the participation of multiple sectors to combat the narcotics threat.