Packages of amphetamine intercepted by police in Bokeo province. - VT
VIENTIANE: Bokeo police on Saturday (July 6) seized a stash of more than 1.3 million amphetamine pills in Meung district after teaming up with a local military unit to carry out the raid.
The haul consisted of 694 packages containing 1,388,000 tablets weighing 138.8 kilograms.
Police are now trying to trace those involved so that they can be brought to justice.
“We don’t know who the drugs belong to, but after our special forces teamed up with border guards to check the contents of the packages we brought them to our headquarters and will now initiate a search for those involved,” a police statement said.
Bokeo is located in the Golden Triangle where police are carrying out a crackdown on the drug trade under the government’s national agenda to solve the country’s burgeoning drug problem.
Last month, Bokeo police confiscated 5.8 million amphetamine pills after they stopped and searched two vehicles travelling from Meung district to Huayxai district.
The drivers attempted to frighten off the police by brandishing guns and then fled the scene.
A search of the vehicles, which had no licence plates, revealed 5,800,000 amphetamine pills weighing almost 700kg, and packs of heroin weighing 225kg. Police impounded the pick-up and the SUV that had been abandoned.
In the past five months, police have dealt with more than 10,000 drug-related cases, in which large amounts of illicit substances were seized.
Drug-related operations under the national agenda have been a great success and resulted in 1,680 cases being processed so far this year, in which 2,616 people were arrested, of whom 96 were foreign nationals.
During property raids and interceptions of drug consignments, police seized large amounts of amphetamine, crystal meth, heroin, cannabis, opium, ketamine and cocaine.
Authorities confiscated vehicles, motorcycles, weapons, ammunition and explosives in the course of their operations.
Meanwhile, the government is also working to build strong political foundations and develop village groups as supporting units, as well as tackling the misuse and loss of land and encroachment into protected forested areas.
Security officials are tightening up on illegal immigration and trade, as well as the pilfering of natural resources in border areas. - Vientiane Times/ANN
