KUNMING, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- The 73rd joint patrol on the Mekong River with law enforcement from China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand was completed Friday.

Six vessels and more than 180 law enforcement personnel participated in the mission, which started Tuesday.

The patrols are targeting drug trafficking along the Mekong River and will conduct random inspections of ships in waters near key regions, including the Golden Triangle.

The joint patrols started in December 2011 after a gang hijacked two cargo ships and killed 13 Chinese sailors in Thai waters on Oct. 5, 2011.

The Mekong River, known as the Lancang River in China, runs through China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, and is an important waterway for transnational shipping.