Three Laotians Caught Smuggling Six Tons of Avocados Across Mekong
Three Laotian nationals were arrested with six tons of avocados while attempting to smuggle the fruit across the Mekong River into Thailand near Mukdahan in Nakhon Phanom province.
At approximately 02:30 on August 20, 2025, Lieutenant Oros Buddhako, head of Mukdahan River Station under the Mekong River peacekeeping unit in Nakhon Phanom province, received a tip that smugglers would attempt to illegally transport duty-free goods from Savannakhet province in Laos across the Mekong River into Thailand, targeting the area behind Indochinese Market in Mukdahan municipality. Following the alert, Lieutenant Oros coordinated with Mukdahan River Police and other relevant agencies to inspect the riverbank area behind Indochinese Market in Sri Sumang community. The incident was discovered approximately 1.2 kilometers from Mukdahan River Station.
During the inspection, officers found three Laotian nationals with one steel-hulled boat equipped with an outboard motor. Authorities seized approximately 250 crates of avocados weighing about six tons that had not cleared customs procedures. All three individuals were taken into custody and the goods were confiscated for investigation and legal proceedings.
The seized items include approximately 250 crates of avocados weighing about six tons and one steel boat with an outboard motor. The suspects and all evidence were brought to Mukdahan River Station for processing under relevant laws, particularly customs regulations, and for further investigation into the cross-border goods smuggling operation.
This operation represents an integrated effort by security agencies and law enforcement units in the border area to monitor and intercept illegal goods smuggling that bypasses customs procedures, particularly along the Mekong River, which is a critical border area of Mukdahan province.
