VIENTIANE, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- A group of suspected illegal drug producers has been arrested in northern Laos' Oudomxay province, with more than 2 million amphetamine pills and six guns seized from their possession, local state-run online newspaper Vientiane Times reported Friday.
According to the report, a joint crackdown by officials responsible for drug control and supervision of the General Police Department of Lao Ministry of Public Security and police in Oudomxay province in Xay district, some 320 km north of capital Vientiane, resulted in the arrest of eight suspects.
Among the arrested were two Thai nationals and six Lao people.
During the operation this week, police confiscated 2,364,046 amphetamine pills, 6.3 kgs of opium, 126.8 kgs of unidentified powder, one kg of dry cannabis and many other items used for producing drugs, according to the report.
Police also seized six guns, five cars, three motorcycles, 5 million baht in Thai currency, 49,000 U.S. dollars and more than 240 million kip in cash.
Police officials said the group was targeted because it was the biggest gang allegedly involved in illegal drug production in Oudomxay and Luang Prabang provinces, and had been under surveillance for a long time.
