119th joint patrol on Mekong River concludes

KUNMING, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Two Chinese law-enforcement vessels returned to a port in southwest China's Yunnan Province on Friday, concluding the 119th joint Mekong River patrol by China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.

Four vessels from the four countries, with 84 law-enforcement officers on board, sailed over 580 km for four days and three nights with missions to ensure the safety and stability of the river basin.

At around 2 p.m. on July 20, the joint patrol team received a call saying that a civilian vessel full of cargo had hit rocks and was in danger of sinking.

A law enforcement speedboat carrying 12 members of the joint patrol team arrived at the scene at 3 p.m. when the ship had been temporarily out of danger with the help of nearby cargo ships. The team then carried out drainage work for the damaged cabin and conducted a comprehensive check on each cabin to ensure the safety of the ship.

The Mekong River, known as the Lancang River in China, is a vital waterway for cross-border shipping. China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand have been conducting joint patrols on the river since December 2011.

Since the joint patrols, law enforcement authorities of the four countries have helped more than 130 vessels out of danger, saving direct economic losses worth nearly 200 million yuan (about 30 million U.S. dollars).

During the past three years, 29 law enforcement operations have been carried out, with 8,341 cross-border criminal cases cracked, over 47 tonnes of various drugs seized, and 4,432 suspects arrested.