XISHUANGBANNA, Yunnan - Another joint patrol on the Mekong River was kicked off on Monday by Chinese police and their counterparts from Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, according to local public security authorities.

The joint patrol is the fifth of its kind since last December.

The patrol fleet set sail at 6:30 am from Guanlei Port, which is located in Xishuangbanna prefecture in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Joint patrols and reinforced cooperation have effectively safeguarded stability and shipping safety in the Mekong River area, said a statement released after a Sunday meeting of the four nations' joint commanders.

Although the area is safe for the time being, further law enforcement cooperation is still needed, the statement said.

Senior cabinet members from the four countries met in Beijing last October and agreed to take joint action to crack down on cross-border crime and secure transportation along the Mekong River following the murder of 13 Chinese sailors on the river.

In May, Naw Kham, a drug lord suspected of masterminding the attack on the Chinese sailors, was detained and sent to Beijing.