154th Mekong River joint patrol concludes

KUNMING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Law enforcement authorities from China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand completed their 154th joint patrol of the Mekong River on Friday.

The joint patrol saw six vessels and nearly 200 law enforcement officers from the four countries cover over 600 kilometers of water in an operation lasting four days and three nights.

The focus of the patrol, which coincided with International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Thursday, was a crackdown on drug crime to ensure safety and stability along the river.

The law enforcement fleet carried out diverse drug prevention campaigns in riverside villages, schools and enterprises, and distributed over 1,000 anti-drug education leaflets and 4,000 educational items.

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 of the river since December 2011. ■