CHIANG RAI – The Laos PDR security force media has released figures on 10 high-profile drug cases recorded nationwide during 2025. The report says nine of the 10 biggest methamphetamine seizures happened in Bokeo Province, which borders Chiang Rai in Thailand.
The remaining case took place in Xayaburi Province, next to Bokeo.
Across all 10 cases, officers seized more than 115,412,000 methamphetamine tablets (yaba) and 2,577 kilograms of crystal meth (ice).
The 10 Cases Listed by the Lao authorities
- 20 October
Bokeo police arrested a 30-year-old man driving a 22-wheel lorry after he ran a traffic light while heading towards Luang Namtha. He was stopped after passing Ban Nam Phung. A search found 19,000,000 yaba tablets and 1,648 kg of ice. - 21 April
A 10-wheel lorry drove through a checkpoint in Bokeo. Police stopped it around 300 metres from the checkpoint, but the driver escaped. Inside, officers found 20,200,000 yaba tablets. - 17 May
At the Nam Keng checkpoint in Bokeo, police inspected a 22-wheel lorry driven by a 29-year-old man. The lorry was carrying 19,500,000 yaba tablets. - 20 February
Bokeo anti-narcotics police intercepted three pick-up trucks carrying a combined 15,000,000 yaba tablets. The vehicles travelled from Ton Pheung District towards Houayxay District. Two suspects, aged 26 and 31, were arrested, while another suspect got away. - 10 September
In Xayaburi, police stopped a 12-wheel lorry that had travelled from Pak Tha District in Bokeo and was heading through Xayaburi towards Vientiane. The driver attempted to flee after entering Xayaburi. During the chase, he jumped and ran into a cemetery, but was caught. The suspect was a 28-year-old man. Officers found 12,742,000 yaba tablets. - 10 May
At the Nam Koeng checkpoint in Bokeo, officers chased a suspicious SUV after noticing the front and rear number plates didn’t match. The vehicle was travelling from Ton Pheung towards Houayxay. Near Ban Nam Yon in Houayxay District, two to three people abandoned the vehicle and fled. Police found 10,000,000 yaba tablets inside. - 14 August
At the Nam Thong checkpoint in Bokeo, anti-narcotics officers searched a 22-wheel lorry driven by a 33-year-old man. The search uncovered 8,810,000 yaba tablets hidden inside. - 8 August
Bokeo anti-narcotics police set up a checkpoint on the Ban Khon Kaen to Nong Sai road. A suspicious car tried to avoid the checkpoint. Officers followed it and found it parked by the Mekong River, with no driver present. A search found 6,000,000 yaba tablets concealed inside. - 22 July
Police in Pak Tha District, Bokeo, inspected a 6-wheel lorry travelling from Houayxay. The driver was a 25-year-old man. Officers noticed the roof had been modified, and a search revealed 4,160,000 yaba tablets and 159 bags of ice. - 17 February
Bokeo police set up a checkpoint at Ban Nam Yon and spotted three pick-up trucks trying to avoid it. Officers pursued them, but the drivers escaped and left the vehicles behind. A search found 770 kg of ice hidden inside.
Why Bokeo Sees So Many Drug Seizures
The report links Bokeo’s high number of large cases to its location on the Mekong River. Across the river sits not only Chiang Rai in Thailand, but also Shan State in Myanmar, with routes that connect onwards to drug production areas linked to the Wa region. Lao police have stepped up deployments on roads leading from border areas into the country’s interior.
It also mentions a military position at Phu Pha Mon in Pak Tha District, opposite Wiang Kaen District, Chiang Rai, which connects towards Xayaburi. Between 3 and 5 May 2568, an unidentified armed group reportedly attacked the Lao base there, killing two Lao officers. Lao authorities then launched an intensified crackdown.
