Authorities Intensify Crackdown on Illegal Opium Poppy Cultivation in Northern Laos

2026-02-10 - 02:27

Lao authorities have stepped up enforcement against illegal opium poppy cultivation in northern Laos, destroying more than 13 hectares of illicit crops in early February, according to official reports. The latest crackdown began in Phongsaly Province, a region historically linked to opium production. On 4 February, authorities in Yod Ou district uprooted 21 poppy plots