Crime Two Lao Nationals Caught Smuggling 8,000 Bottles of Unlicensed Cough Syrup at Border

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Daily News.

 

Authorities at the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge II border checkpoint in Mukdahan province have arrested two Lao men attempting to smuggle 8,000 bottles of unlicensed cough syrup out of Thailand. The syrup, which lacked approval from Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA), was concealed in a pickup truck headed for the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

 

The joint operation was conducted by officials from Mukdahan Customs House, the 2105th Ranger Company, Immigration Police, and other regional security agencies. The suspects, identified as Mr. Binly and Mr. Jaiped, both 35 years old and nationals of Laos, were detained along with their white Ford pickup truck bearing a Savannakhet licence plate.

 

According to customs officials, the operation followed routine inspections conducted on 21 July at the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge II in Bang Sai Yai Subdistrict, Mueang District, Mukdahan. Officers became suspicious of a private vehicle approaching the exit checkpoint with two Lao men on board. Upon searching the rear of the vehicle, they discovered 40 green sacks filled with cough syrup bottles.

 

The products had no FDA registration and were accompanied by no supporting documentation. The substances have since been seized and sent for laboratory analysis to determine if they contain any controlled substances. Should the analysis confirm the presence of narcotics or prohibited chemicals, additional charges will be filed under Thailand’s Narcotic Drugs Act.

 

Both suspects are currently in custody while authorities continue to investigate potential links to a broader smuggling network. Officials have not ruled out connections to illegal drug trafficking, money laundering operations or transnational crime syndicates operating on either side of the border.

 

The case highlights ongoing concerns over the smuggling of pharmaceutical products, especially those potentially used in the production of illegal substances cocktails, which are popular in some parts of Southeast Asia.

 

Further legal proceedings are expected as the investigation expands to identify additional individuals or organisations involved in the illicit trade.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Daily News 2025-07-23

 

 

 

[dddave]

Not the best concealment job I've seen

[MalcolmB]

Probably to be mixed into these Kratom drinks.

 

I stopped drinking it when I found out they also add light bulb filament.