Man arrested for smuggling sperm

Thai authorities arrested a man trying to smuggle six vials of sperm into Laos, a customs officer said Thursday, the latest sign that a commercial surrogacy industry is growing in the opaque communist country following curbs around the region.

The 25-year-old was arrested in the border town of Nong Khai with the tubes packed inside a nitrogen tank, according to a Thai customs officer.

“It was his 13th time smuggling (semen) through Nong Khai,” the official told AFP, requesting anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press. Officials believe the vials were bound for a surrogacy clinic in Laos, an impoverished country that is quickly soaking up demand for the “rent a womb” business.