VIENTIANE: (Bernama) Lao authorities have arrested four people suspected of running a human trafficking network that allegedly recruited Lao women into irregular marriages with foreign men.
Police traced the suspected brokers to Kham district in Xieng Khouang province and to Nongkeng village in Xaythany district, in Vientiane, in late July, The Laotian Times reported on Thursday (Aug 13).
Authorities said the syndicate charged between US$7,533 and US$9,308 (RM30,810 and RM38,000) for the alleged marriage arrangements.
"The group allegedly arranged meetings between Lao women and foreign men. Officers raided the property and arrested four suspects, including one foreign national whose nationality remains undisclosed,” reported The Laotian Times.
The arrests come amid stepped-up efforts by Lao security forces to crack down on a growing range of crimes, including online gambling, cybercrime, drug and human trafficking and wildlife smuggling.
"The government is strengthening coordinated efforts to prevent and suppress human trafficking in response to evolving challenges,” Laos Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Khamphan Phommathat said at the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on July 30.
The Lao National Committee on Anti-Human Trafficking have taken a series of measures to protect innocent women, mostly from remote areas of the country, including public awareness campaigns, training and seminars.
Police recorded 46 new human trafficking cases in 2024, where 95 suspects were arrested, and 85 people were victimised, according to the committee.
The United States Department of State, in its "2025 Trafficking in Persons Report: Laos”, revealed that traffickers in rural communities kidnap or recruit Lao women and girls with false promises of legitimate work opportunities or promises of marriage. Most of the traffickers operate under the guise of "marriage brokers”.
"Economic hardship and decreasing job opportunities have markedly increased this trend in 2024 and 2025,” said the report.
Bordering five nations - China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam - Lao security forces face mammoth challenges in curbing cross-border crimes. - Bernama
