KUNMING, May 24 (Xinhua) -- The 82nd Mekong River joint patrol led by China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand was concluded Friday afternoon at Guanlei Port in southwest China's Yunnan Province.
Eight vessels and 150 law enforcement officials from the four countries participated in the mission, which covered 560 km in four days.
A total of 21 vehicles, 26 people and 12 tonnes of cargo were inspected during the mission, according to the provincial public security department.
China and Laos will conduct a week-long joint training after the patrol.
The joint patrols started in December 2011 after a gang hijacked two cargo ships and killed 13 Chinese sailors in Thai waters on Oct. 5 that year.
So far, a total of 13,100 officers and 695 vessels have participated in the 82 missions, covering a range of more than 43,700 km. A total of 124 merchant ships were rescued and more than 1,000 merchant ships escorted.
The Mekong River, known as the Lancang River in China, is a vital waterway for cross-border shipping between China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
