Laos handed 196 Chinese and Thai nationals back to authorities in their home countries on 1 October, as authorities continue a nationwide crackdown on cybercrime and scam operations.
The group was transferred in two separate handovers in Bokeo. Most of them, 189 people, face allegations linked to cybercrime or telecom fraud, while seven were accused of entering Laos illegally.
At the Boten-Mohan International Checkpoint in Luang Namtha Province, Lao officials handed 118 Chinese nationals to Chinese authorities. The group included 113 people accused of cybercrime and five accused of illegal entry. They will face deportation and further legal proceedings in China.
Later that day, 78 Thai nationals were handed over at the 4th Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge. Thai authorities will handle the cases from there. Among the group, 76 are accused of working with call center scam gangs, while two face illegal entry charges.
Lao authorities also handed over equipment seized from the group, including 107 desktop computers, dozens of personal phones, and three tablets.
Recent Handovers and Raids
The Bokeo transfers are part of a wider series of handovers in recent weeks.
In Vientiane, authorities handed 25 Thai nationals, including 11 women, to Thai police on 30 September at the 1st Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge. They face allegations involving cybercrime and online gambling.
Another 129 Thai nationals were transferred to Thai authorities at the same bridge on 17 September.
Meanwhile, police in Savannakhet were dealing with suspected illegal activity at home.
On 28 September, officers raided two rental properties in Kaysone Phomvihane City, detaining 17 people.
At one property in Phonsavang Tai Village, police detained 14 Chinese nationals and one Lao national and seized 38 desktop computers and 41 smartphones.
At a second property in Sanamxay Village, police detained two Lao nationals and seized kratom leaves and 22,963 bottles of cough syrup.
The latest operations add to a much larger crackdown that has swept across Laos this year. Since January, authorities have detained more than 6,200 suspected scammers from more than 25 nationalities.
