Laos deports hundreds of Chinese casino goers
Laos has reported the arrest of hundreds of Chinese gamblers that illegally crossed the border to gamble despite Covid-19 travel restrictions.
Laos.- The country has revealed it detained and deported hundreds of Chinese citizens that crossed the border to illegally during Covid-19 restrictions to gamble at casinos.
Casinos in Laos remain open, but the border with China is supposed to be closed due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.
According to local press, most of the illegal visitors were tourists aiming to visit casinos in Bokeo province’s Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, a gambling and entertainment district that caters mainly to Chinese tourists.
A member of the Luang Namtha provincial Task Force Committee for Covid-19 Control and Prevention said: “In July, almost 300 Chinese sneaked into Luang Namtha province without passports. They were going to the casino in Bokeo province.
“They came through a small road, not through any border checkpoint. When they arrived in Luang Namtha, they met middlemen who intended to take them to Bokeo.”
Those detained were caught at different times throughout the month and have all been deported.