Tasers banned, but on sale in Vientiane market
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Vientiane police have issued a warning that individuals or organisations who illegally possess or distribute tasers may be subject legal action as the device is classified as a weapon.
A senior police official gave the warning during a recent interview with the Vientiane Times.
“Since a taser is an offensive weapon, an individual or groups of people who illegally possess or distribute them may be put on trial,” commander of the Vientiane Police, Pol Brig-General Bounxou Nammachak said.
A taser uses an electrical current to disrupt the voluntary control of muscles causing neuromuscular incapacitation.
Members of the public have voiced concern about the availability of the weapon, while some said there were instances of them being used by robbers. However, there have been no official reports of such incidents.
Bounxou said he has ordered police to inspect city markets.
After hearing people’s concerns, the Vientiane Times visited a popular market in Vientiane and found that the weapons were available. Vendors said they sold tasers clandestinely for 400,000 to 500,000 kip (Bt1,490 to Bt1,880) each. “We only display the boxes because if the police see any tasers they will confiscate them,” an assistant at a foreign-owned shop said.
Bounxou said the sale and purchase of the device is prohibited, adding that his department will be speaking to trade and customs officials to find out how the tasers managed to enter the country in the first place.
He called on members of the public to participate in the monitoring of activities relating to the illegal possession and distribution of such devices.
