Officials from the Greater Mekong Sub-region countries have agreed to step up efforts to combat drug trafficking as synthetic drug markets in the region continue to grow.

Representatives from Laos, Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, met in Lao capital Vientiane for the Senior Officials Committee Meeting of the Signatories to the Memorandum of Understanding on Drug Control in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, which took place from Tuesday to Wednesday.

The report titled "Synthetic Drugs in East and Southeast Asia: Latest Developments and Challenges 2024" was presented at the meeting, indicating the escalation in drug trafficking, according to the Lao Security News report on Thursday.

Laos' Deputy Minister of Public Security Khamking Phuilamanyvong said the meeting is an important platform for enhancing the collective effort to fight the illegal drug trade in the Greater Mekong Sub-region.

Despite the reported escalation in the drug trade, Khamking said "These cooperation efforts have enabled us to effectively deal with and solve the drug problem in the region."

The meeting reviewed the implementation of the sub-regional action plan and the initiative on joint efforts to tackle synthetic drugs in the Greater Mekong Sub-region.

For its part, the Lao government has intensified action to tackle the drug problem and remains committed to working with other countries in the region in this regard, said Khamking.