KUNMING — The 80th Mekong River joint patrol led by China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand concluded on March 22 at the Guanlei Port, Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture in Southwest China’s Yunnan province.

Seven vessels and 187 law enforcement officials from the four countries participated in the mission, which covered a range of more than 512 km in four days.

A total of 12 vehicles, 25 people and 8.5 tonnes of cargo were inspected during the mission.

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 12,816 officers and 680 vessels have participated in the past 80 missions, covering a range of more than 42,000 km.

The Mekong River, known as the Lancang River in China, is a vital waterway for cross-border shipping among China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.