Local border guards in Quang Tri Province, in north-central Vietnam, on 23 May, intercepted five individuals from Laos attempting to transport narcotics through the La Lay International Border Gate in Dakrong District.
The apprehended individuals include two university students, identified as Phitsamay Kolasak, 24, and Thiplatda Bounsalat, 23, along with other suspects Noutta Mixay, 31, Boun Xoun Leovanh, 47, and Khene Leovanh, 30.
Quang Tri Province shares a border with Laos’ Salavan and Savannakhet provinces. During interrogation, the group admitted to being hired by a Lao individual to transport heroin from Vientiane Capital to Dong Ha City in Vietnam.
Their agreement involved a promised payment of USD 3,000 upon successful completion of the delivery, as reported by local media
This incident has sparked widespread concern about the effectiveness of border security in Laos, with many questioning how officials could have allowed a vehicle carrying such a substantial amount of narcotics to pass undetected.
As heroin successfully crossed the Lao border, speculations emerged about the possible involvement of Lao authorities with the smugglers. Calls for a thorough investigation into the actions of the officers stationed at the Lao border on the day of the incident grew louder, as critics condemned the perceived incompetence of Lao authorities in preventing such illicit activities.
“I’m curious about how they managed to cross the Lao border,” commented a Facebook user. “[…] Even if the Lao authorities discovered the narcotics [upon inspection], it would only take ‘tea money’ to get through,” calling for stricter law enforcement by the Lao authorities.
“The Lao government must carefully monitor its borders. Failure to do so could result in a loss of policy integrity or damage to its reputation,” stated another social media user.
Border drug smuggling continues to pose a significant challenge for Laos, with similar incidents occurring in the past in borders shared with Thailand and Vietnam. Recently, Thai authorities in Nong Khai Province arrested four Thai nationals for attempting to smuggle 1,400 kilograms of methamphetamine from Laos into Thailand.
Additionally, two other similar incidents took place in Vietnam in early May and April. In the first occurrence, Vietnamese authorities arrested six Laos nationals for allegedly smuggling 120 kg of drugs into central Ha Tinh Province on 6 May while another case occurred in Quang Tri Province, with five Lao suspects detained for transporting 100 kg of drugs from Laos to Vietnam.
Despite challenges, to address the issue, law enforcement officials from six Mekong countries Laos, Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) convened in Vientiane Capital to improve collaborative efforts against drug trafficking amidst rising synthetic drug markets in East and Southeast Asia with a record high of 190 tonnes of seized methamphetamine in 2023.
