LAOS: THREE DRUG TRAFFICKERS SENTENCED TO DEATH

The Vientiane People's Court in Laos has handed down the death penalty to three men who were part of a drug trafficking ring caught shipping illicit drugs from the notorious Golden Triangle area last year.
The three traffickers were intercepted while attempting to transport more than 2.1 million methamphetamine tablets and 40 bags of heroin from the northern province of Bokeo. The drugs had been purchased in Myanmar's Shan State, which borders on Bokeo.
The men were apprehended during a police operation in May last year after law enforcement officials received intelligence from the public, with the suspects believed to be acting as mules for a larger drug syndicate.
They were identified by police as Maikong Keomany, 44, and Bounmy Vilaichit, 33, both of Mom village in Tonpheung district of Bokeo province, and Vilakhone Chitchamnong, 33, of Huakhua village in Luang Namtha district, Luang Namtha province.
They appeared before the Vientiane People's Court recently, about one year after being arrested.
The three men were sentenced to death under Article 146 of the Criminal Law. The death penalty was imposed given the gravity of the crime and the considerable harm that illicit drugs cause to society.
According to the Khuamsangob Weekly, the police made preparations to destroy the confiscated drugs and the three vehicles used to transport them were seized, becoming the property of the state.