1.44 tonnes of meth seized in joint operation by Chinese, Lao police

KUNMING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and Lao police have jointly cracked a cross-border drug trafficking case, arresting two suspects and seizing 1.44 tonnes of methamphetamine tablets, according to an announcement Thursday.

Yunnan provincial public security department announced that police in Yunnan had noticed traffickers intended to smuggle large quantities of drugs through the Mekong River basin, and immediately coordinated with law enforcement authorities of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.

Earlier this month, two Lao nationals were apprehended and drugs were found in their possession during a joint operation by Chinese and Lao authorities.

According to Yunnan police, over a decade of joint patrols of the Mekong River by these four countries have ensured improved public security and crackdowns on drug trafficking in the Lancang-Mekong River basin. The Mekong River, whose section in China is called the Lancang River, is a vital waterway for cross-border shipping.

During the past three years, more than 8,300 cross-border criminal cases have been cracked, 8,204 suspects have been arrested, and 47.12 tonnes of drugs have been seized.