HANOI, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Border guards of Vietnam's northern Dien Bien province in coordination with Laos' relevant agencies detained three Lao men for trading and transporting lab-made drugs from Laos to Vietnam, provincial border guards said on Wednesday.

In addition to arresting the trio aged 33, 49 and 53 respectively, who are members of a ring that traded and stored drugs in Laos and then sold them in Vietnam, the border guards confiscated 60 cakes of heroin, 40,000 pills of ecstasy, one handgun, seven bullets and some other items.

According to the Vietnamese law, those convicted of smuggling over 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kg of methamphetamine are punishable by death. Making or trading 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal drugs also faces death penalty.