Border guards in the central Thanh Hoa Province have arrested two Lao nationals for allegedly trying to smuggle 69 cakes of heroin across the border.

Officers from Trung Ly Border Post were patrolling National Highway 15C on Sunday when they spotted the two men on motorbikes. 

Getting suspicious, the officers signalled the duo to stop but they sped away and were caught after a chase. On inspecting their bikes and luggage, the border guards found 69 cakes of heroin, each weighing about 350grams.

They have also seized their mobile phones, motorbikes and some cash from the suspects.

The suspects identified themselves as Lu Tho, 41, and Vang Tua Tho, 31, residents of Houaphanh province in Laos.

They had been hired by a Vietnamese man to transport heroin from Laos to VN and had been promised a payment of VNĐ40 million (US$1,800), the duo said.

This is the largest smuggling case that has been intercepted by Thanh Hoa border guards in recent years.

Investigations are still on. 

VNS