VIENTIANE, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Many Lao provinces around the country have launched a crackdown on illegal drugs in September, with a number of drug traffickers having been arrested, local daily Vientiane Times reported Monday.
The first case saw police from the Khammuan Drug Prevention and Control Department in central Laos, arrest two men and confiscate almost 4,000 amphetamine pills.
The police arrested the pair as they were transporting amphetamines to waiting customers and confiscated 3,993 tablets.
The second case occurred when officials from the Champassak Drug Prevention and Control Department in southern Laos, stopped a pickup along a road and confiscated 6,000 amphetamine pills, two small bags of crystal methamphetamine (ice) and a gun, and arrested two men and a woman.
During police investigations, they confessed that they had travelled from Champassak to Vientiane to collect the pills. On their return to Champassak, police stopped the pickup and found the pills they had bought.
The last case was reported in capital Vientiane after police arrested two drug dealers and confiscated 2,447 amphetamine pills and 18 small bags of crystal methamphetamine in their possession.
The drug dealers confessed to police that they had been taking amphetamines since 2012.
The police are continuing their investigations into all cases and trying to identify other people involved in the drug rings before sending the suspects to court.
In 2015, Lao police handled 2,258 drug cases, and arrested 3,346 people including 90 foreigners. This was an increase of 600 cases compared to 2014, according to Lao Drug Control and Supervision Department.
