Law and Crime

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 of Phra Sri Ariya Metrai, the Maitreya Buddha that Buddhist tradition says will one day appear on earth to succeed Gautama Buddha. Under the 24 September...

Corruption Crackdown in Laos’s Attapeu Province Uncovers Millions in Financial Irregularities

Attapeu authorities have detailed five years of corruption investigations and financial irregularities, including a...

Xaysomboun Identifies Four Companies Over Unauthorized Gold Mining

Authorities in Xaysomboun Province have identified four companies allegedly involved in unauthorized alluvial gold...

Laos Detains 33 Suspects in Two-Day Vientiane Cybercrime Crackdown

Lao authorities detained 33 people, all Chinese nationals, in a two-day operation targeting cybercrime...

Latest Scam Center Raids Hit Vientiane, Champasak with Nearly 100 Arrests

Laos has detained nearly 100 suspected scammers in raids across the country last week,...

Xayabouly Police Seize Nearly 13 Million Meth Pills in Major Drug Bust

On 10 September, police in Xayabouly Province seized nearly 13 million methamphetamine pills from a man attempting to transport them for sale in Vientiane...

US Orders Release of Lao Refugee Facing Deportation

Alan Phetsadakone, a 47-year-old Lao refugee in the United States, was released from federal custody on 6 September after a month and a half...

Thai Nationals Arrested for Drug Trafficking in Laos, 800,000 Pills Seized

Vientiane provincial authorities have arrested two Thai nationals in connection with a major drug trafficking case involving 800,000 methamphetamine pills. According to a report released...

Lao Authorities Seize Four Kilograms of Heroin at Wattay International Airport

Lao authorities seized four kilograms of heroin during a joint inspection at Wattay International Airport, leading to the arrest of a 78-year-old Australian national. The...

Laos Reports 452 Road Accidents, 61 Deaths in August

Laos witnessed 452 road accidents in August, resulting in 824 vehicles damaged, 593 people injured, and 61 fatalities, the Traffic Police Department reported. All figures...

Lao Court Sentences Man to Death for Meth Trafficking

On 27 August, the Xayabouly Provincial People’s Court sentenced a 29-year-old man to death after convicting him of trafficking methamphetamine and crystal meth. The...