Crime is present in various forms in

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...

By location

Vang Vieng

The US State Department warns that

Vang Vieng Vang may refer to: People Vang is a common surname among Hmong Americans, including *Vang Pao (1929–2011), Lieutenant General in the Royal Lao Army and a leader of the Hmong American community in the United States *Ka Vang (born 1975), writer * ...

is a location in Laos of high risk for tourists in relation to risks of rape and robbery. Many restaurants in the Vang Vieng area offer menu items, particularly “pizzas,” “shakes,” or “teas,” that may contain unknown substances or opiates. These products are often advertised as “happy” or “special” items. These unknown substances or opiates can be dangerous, causing serious illness or even death. South Korea in March 2016 followed th
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Australia
in issuing a travel warning against trips to Laos’ central province of Xaisomboun, as well as traveling on Route 13 that stretches from Kasi to Phou Khoun, part of the road connection between Vientiane and Luang Prabang. The warning followed a number of recent shootings that involved and killed Chinese nationals working in Laos.

Crime by type

Theft and petty crime

Petty crime, which includes

snatch theft Snatch theft is a criminal act, common in Southeast Asia, South America, and Southern Europe, of forcefully stealing a pedestrian's personal property by employing rob-and-run tactics. Description It is typical for two thieves to work together an ...

and pick-pocketing, is an issue in Laos. Fake and infringing merchandise can be easily found in many parts of Laos.

Violent crime

Violent crime is less prominent, though the rate of it has been growing, as of July 2013. Traveling alone in remote areas after dark is of risk especially to foreigners.

Corruption

Corruption is a problem in Laos. The 2012

Transparency International Transparency International e.V. (TI) is a German registered association founded in 1993 by former employees of the World Bank. Based in Berlin, its nonprofit and non-governmental purpose is to take action to combat global corruption with civil ...

Corruption Perceptions Index The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is an index which ranks countries "by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys." The CPI generally defines corruption as an "abuse of entru ...

ranked the country at number 160, out of 176 countries in total. The government has been making an effort or curb corruption.

Illegal drug trade

The

Illegal drug trade The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs through ...

is an important issue in Laos. The country is home to a great number of poppy fields and drug addicts. The Laotian government has been making an effort to end this problem; once one of the world's largest opium producers, Laos now no longer has that strong an opium industry, with some 94% of the opium farms being wiped out from the surface of the country in 2005, prompting the country to call their anti-opium efforts a "success". On the other hand, more and more of other drugs such as heroin are being traded in the country. In recent years, foreigners have died in Laos after using illegal drugs, such as methamphetamine, opium, or heroin. The potency of some of these drugs can be several times that of similar substances found in the United States.

Sex trafficking in Laos

Laos is mainly an origin country for sexually trafficked persons. A number of citizens, primarily women and girls, from all

ethnic groups An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...

and foreigners have been victims of sex trafficking in Laos.