Five vessels joined the four-day patrol that will involve inspections, a crackdown on drug crimes in key waters, including the "Golden Triangle", an area notorious for drug production.
The joint patrol started in December 2011 after a gang hijacked two cargo ships and killed 13 Chinese sailors in Thai waters on October 5, 2011.
According to the Yunnan provincial Department of Public Security, a total of over 12,600 officers and 673 vessels joining in the past 79 missions have imposed a powerful deterrence and dealt a hefty blow to crimes on the river.
The Mekong River is a vital waterway for cross-border shipping among China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
