Senior anti-drug police officers from Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia will meet in Vietnam next month to discuss cooperation on anti-drug trafficking measures along border areas in the region.
According to Cambodian Anti-Drug Department Chief Lieutenant General Khoeung Sarath, the meeting scheduled for October 5 will be held over four days in Ho Chi Minh City.
The lieutenant also expressed his optimism that the discussion would increase cooperation to combat drug trafficking along borders between the four countries.
He said, “We must tighten controls and closely monitor all border crossing points, international checkpoints, and international airports to the greatest extent possible in order to combat the import and export of drugs into each nation.”
The majority of the drugs imported into Cambodia originate from the Golden Triangle in Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar, he explained, adding that Cambodia has served as a major center for drug traffickers to transport drugs to other countries. Moreover, the majority of narcotics confiscated by Cambodian authorities originate from smuggling routes along the borders of neighboring countries.
“We expect to be able to combat or reduce drug trafficking in Cambodia if we can cooperate with our neighboring countries to strengthen monitoring of all border corridors, international border checkpoints, including land, sea, air, and international airports,”
As Cambodia has seen an influx of narcotics over the past few years, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet announced earlier this month that his government would prioritize drug-related issues and will do everything possible to combat and eradicate narcotics in Cambodia.
