Thao Chu Chang was taken into custody after joint efforts by the border guards of Thanh Hoa Province and Lao authorities, Vietnam Plus reported Monday.

He had 12,000 ecstasy pills, 180 carbine bullets and two kilograms of explosives when he was caught in Houaphanh Province before he could deliver them to Vietnam.

The report said Chang has admitted to have bought the items in the Lao province’s Xam Neua District; and planned to smuggle them into Vietnam through Viang Xai District, 207 km west of Thanh Hoa Province.

The border guards of Thanh Hoa and Lao forces are investigating the case to identify the drug syndicate and those involved before finalizing papers to hand over Thao Chu Chang and the items to Houaphanh authorities.

Vietnam is a key trafficking hub for narcotics from the Golden Triangle, an intersection of Laos, Thailand and Myanmar, which is the world's second largest drug producing area after the Golden Crescent in South Asia.

Drug trafficking and consumption have persisted and worsened in Vietnam over the last few years, though it has some of the world’s toughest laws.