Border yama bust sees two Laotians arrested

Two Laotians were charged in Preah Vihear Provincial Court yesterday with trafficking about 10,000 yama pills from Laos.

On April 10, Thak Pitavong, 40, and Mi Kham, 54, were arrested by anti-drug bureau officers in Preah Vihear’s Choam Ksan district and provincial authorities.

The two men were found with 48 packages containing 9,666 methamphetamine-based pills, an AK-47 and a motorbike, according to district deputy police chief May Puth.

“Following an investigation, we arrested two Laotians who were selling the drugs from a motorbike,” he said.

The rate of drug trafficking has increased nearly 51 per cent since 2013, according to a report by the National Authority for Combating Drugs released in January.

In 2014, there were 1,337 total offences, indicating the arrest of 3,142 suspects, compared to just 889 cases in 2013. Of the 341 cases reported by military police, 88 involved foreign nationals.

Laotian authorities have been informed of the arrests, according to Prang Thida, director of the provincial anti-drug bureau.