118th joint patrol on Mekong River concludes

KUNMING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Three Chinese law-enforcement vessels returned to a port in southwest China's Yunnan Province on Friday, concluding the 118th joint Mekong River patrol by China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.

Five vessels from the four countries, with 109 law-enforcement officers on board, sailed over 760 km for four days and three nights with missions to ensure the safety and stability of the river basin, according to the Yunnan provincial public security department.

The Mekong River, whose section in China is called the Lancang River, is a vital waterway for cross-border shipping.

China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand have been conducting joint patrols on the river since December 2011, targeting illegal border crossing, drugs, internet fraud and other cross-border crimes along the river.

During the past three years, 29 law enforcement operations have been carried out, with 8,341 cross-border criminal cases cracked, over 47 tonnes of various drugs seized, and 4,432 suspects arrested.