A 42-year-old Thai man was arrested for violating Article 58 of the Customs Law, which prohibits the carrying, sale, and possession of such a weapon.
The incident took place on Sunday at the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge in Vientiane where customs officers confiscated a Derya MK-12 semi-automatic shotgun from a Thai national who was trying to bring the weapon into Laos without bringing it to anyone’s notice. Another man was also detained for carrying 600 e-cigarettes.
Head of Customs at the Friendship Bridge informed that the customs officer stationed at the vehicle inspection point halted a Thai-registered car and found a huge box inside, which when opened revealed the shotgun, which is categorized as a military-grade weapon and is illegal under Lao legislation.
The police have taken the man under their custody and will now initiate a prosecution case.
The 600 e-cigarettes were seized from a 25-year-old Thai salesman from Chiang Mai province. The import of e-cigarettes is banned under Lao law. The cigarettes were deposited at the Friendship Bridge customs warehouse and will be disposed off by relevant officials.
