In a bid to strengthen cross-border crime control and law enforcement along the Mekong River, twelve patrol boats have been donated to the Thai River Police by a foreign entity in Nong Khai province.
The Northeastern province of Nong Khai witnessed the handover of twelve patrol boats from the United States to the Thai River Police, aiming to bolster effectiveness in combating cross-border crime and intensifying illegal trade monitoring along the Mekong River.
The twelve boats, with a ceremony presided over by Robert F. Godec, U.S. Ambassador to Thailand, are valued at over 75 million baht, and are funded as part of the support from the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). These boats are specially designed to navigate shallow waters, making them suitable for patrol operations along the fast-flowing and winding Mekong River, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of transnational crime control along the river.
Furthermore, twenty-four river police personnel were trained by the U.S. Shore Patrol and the INL division of the U.S. Embassy between the 16th and 26th of October. The training encompassed small boat operations and boarding operations to apprehend suspects. These patrol boats will play a vital role in supporting law enforcement and security operations in Thai waters, particularly in border and waterway areas where transnational criminal networks operate covertly. (NNT)
