Law and Crime

Heavy Rainfall Blamed for Rare Earth Reservoir Breach in Houaphanh

Heavy rainfall caused a reservoir used by a rare earth mining company to breach in Houaphanh Province on 2 November, sending more than 1,000 cubic meters of muddy water into nearby waterways, provincial authorities said. Officials inspected the site in Thabpheung village, Xamneua district, on 4 November to assess the...

Luang Namtha Finds 184 People Allegedly Involved in USD 1 Million Corruption Cases

Authorities in Luang Namtha have identified 184 people involved in two corruption cases that...

Rare Earth Ponds Burst in Houaphanh, Villages Halt River Use Pending Inspections

Village authorities along the Nam Vaen and Nam Xam rivers have told residents to...

Authorities Seize 77kg of Raw Gold in Crackdown Across Eight Provinces

The State Inspection Authority has seized 77 kilograms of raw gold ore across eight...

Thai Authorities Arrest Lao Woman on Human Trafficking Charges at Nong Khai Border

Thai immigration officers arrested a 60-year-old Lao woman at the First Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge...

Laos Detains More Than 10,500 Cybercrime Suspects in First Nine Months of 2026

Authorities in Laos detained nearly 10,651 suspects of 31 nationalities in the first nine months of 2026 in a nationwide crackdown on cybercrime and...

Laos Proposes Overhaul of Narcotics Classifications to Target Unlisted Drugs

Laos is proposing to expand its official list of prohibited narcotics and controlled chemicals to close legal loopholes as authorities deal with new and...

Laos Hands Over Nearly 200 Suspected Scammers to Thailand, China in Early October

Laos handed 196 Chinese and Thai nationals back to authorities in their home countries on 1 October, as authorities continue a nationwide crackdown on...

Laos to Reopen Applications for Non-Bank Financial Institutions by End of 2026

The Lao central bank plans to resume accepting applications to establish new non-bank financial institutions by the end of 2026, after suspending new applications...

Slope Collapse Hits Workers’ Camp at Pak Beng Hydropower Project in Northern Laos, No Casualties Reported

A section of hillside collapsed beneath a workers’ residential camp at the Pak Beng hydropower project in northern Laos at 1 AM on 28...

Vientiane Shuts Down KM38 Dharma Practice Center After Leader Defies Order Over Reborn Buddha Claim

On 24 September, Vientiane authorities shut down the KM38 Dharma Practice Center in Sangsai village, Pakngum district, after its leader declared herself the reincarnation...