NAKHON PHANOM: Two Lao men were arrested on the Mekong River bank in That Phanom district with 100kg of marijuana while waiting for a Thai customer on Wednesday night.
Pol Lt Col Sompop Onsin, deputy commander of the border patrol police in the northeastern province, said on Thursday that Sak Kingsa-ard, 19, and Aye Jaloentad, 21, from Pakse village in Khammouane province of Laos were arrested on the river bank in Ban Khab Phuang village in tambon Namkam of That Phanom district late Wednesday night.
Thai officials on patrol found them with two sacks containing 100 bars of marijuana weighing 1kg each on a motored boat. With a market price there of 20,000 baht per kilogramme, the product had an estimated value of 2 million baht.
Both Lao suspects said they were hired for 10,000 baht for each delivery.
Pol Lt Col Sompop said that the area was on a route frequently used by marijuana smugglers and nearly one tonne of smuggled marijuana had been seized there this year.