Laos and Vietnam have resolved to strengthen policing of their shared border, in a bid to crack down on drug smuggling and other criminal enterprises.
The agreement was reached at a meeting in Huaphan province last week, which was the second held between the two groups of officials. Officials are particularly concerned about smuggling in the Huaphan region.
They agreed to bolster law enforcement between Son La province in Vietnam, and Huaphan province in Laos, as well as the small section of Luang Prabang province that borders Vietnam adjacent to Song La.
Drug smuggling and criminal enterprises have been an issue in the region for a long time, and a Memorandum of Understanding to increase patrols and other interdiction efforts was signed at the first meeting held in Son La province in 2009.
At last week's meeting, representatives from both sides reviewed their efforts over the past two years, looking at what intelligence they had gathered, what measures were proving to be effective, and what issues needed further work to combat drug problems in the area.
There were discussions regarding future cooperation efforts for the 2012-2013 period regarding many issues along the border, but there was a specific focus on the drug issue.
The local geography makes policing this area of the border particularly difficult, as it is heavily forested and has some of the most mountainous and inhospitable terrain in the region. It is also sparsely populated, particularly on the Lao side, making the area a natural haven for criminals of various persuasions.
Officials from both countries have been working hard in recent times to keep each other informed about suspected criminal activities on either side of the border and work closely on surveillance, patrols and road check points, as well as intelligence obtained from members of the public.
Over the three year period from 2009 until the end of 2011 Huaphan provincial police arrested 77 drug traffickers including 17 women. They seized 94 packages of heroin, weighing almost 40kg, over 200,000 amphetamine tablets, and 59.5kg of opium.
A total of 42 mobile phones used for criminal purposes and two shotguns were also seized from criminal elements. The police also confiscated 12 cars, 21 motorcycles, and cash.
Luang Prabang provincial police caught 403 drug dealers over the three year period, including 52 women. They seized 18 packages of heroin, almost 215,000 amphetamine tablets, 260kg of opium, 340kg of marijuana, nine guns, seven cars, 12 motorcycles and 44 mobile phones.
On the Vietnamese side, Son La provincial police arrested 3,488 drug dealers. They seized over 130kg of heroin, 23,750 amphetamine tablets, 16.4kg of opium, and 14 weapons and ammunition. They confiscated 15 cars, 741 motorcycles, and more than 1.9 billion vietnam dong (US$90,000) made through criminal activities.
In their joint drug eradication efforts, the three provinces destroyed more than 4,690 hectares of opium poppies, and referred more than 7,650 drug users for treatment.
Drug enforcement officers and representatives from the three provinces co-signed a new Memorandum of Understanding to continue to strengthen cooperation on drug eradication and control in the region.
