Law and Crime

Laos Arrests More Than 550 in August Scam Crackdown

Laos has detained more than 550 people in raids targeting online scams and illegal gambling operations so far in August, as authorities step up a nationwide crackdown that has now netted more than 1,100 suspects since mid-July. The latest figures come after a series of raids across Vientiane Capital and...

Laos Seizes Nearly 1.8 Tonnes of Suspected Ivory, Black Panther Remains in Bolikhamxay Raid

On 16 August, Lao authorities detained 11 foreign nationals in connection with a wildlife...

Vientiane Authorities Detain Nearly 400 in Cybercrime Raids in Early-to-Mid August

Vientiane authorities have detained nearly 400 suspects in three separate raids since the start...

Laos Authorities Arrest Four in Alleged Marriage Trafficking Network

On 23 July, Lao authorities arrested four people suspected of operating a human trafficking...

Police Detain 261 Foreign Nationals in Thatluang Lake SEZ Scam Raid

On 8 August, Vientiane police raided a telecommunications fraud and online gambling operation at...

East, Southeast Asia Had Record Methamphetamine Seizures Last Year. Profits Remain in Billions

BANGKOK (AP) — East and Southeast Asia are awash in record amounts of methamphetamine and other synthetic drugs, the U.N. Office on Drugs and...

Lao Nationals Apprehended in Vietnam For Drug Smuggling

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...

Vientiane Capital Takes Stand Against Non-Compliant Signs

Vientiane authorities have commenced a mission to inspect and remove illegal signs across the capital following the emergence of numerous signs that do not...

Thai Court Sentences Opposition Lawmaker to Two Years in Prison for Defaming Monarchy

BANGKOK (AP) — A Thai court on Monday sentenced a lawmaker from a progressive opposition party to two years in prison after finding her...

Road Safety Campaign in Laos Targets Helmet Use Among Young Students

The European Union delegation to Laos has launched a new campaign aimed at raising awareness and encouraging young Lao students to wear helmets while...

‘Sheer Terror’: Passengers Describe Turbulence-Hit Flight That Put 20 in Intensive Care

BANGKOK (AP) — Passengers on the Singapore Airlines flight that descended sharply after hitting severe turbulence described the “sheer terror” of the aircraft shuddering, loose...