Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran agree to stop drug trafficking
Friday, 15 June 2007
New York, Jun 13 (PTI) Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan have agreed to work closely to stop drug trafficking along their common borders by building more physical barriers, launching joint counter-narcotic operations and improving communication.
The three countries agreed to take steps to improve border management by building more physical barriers, boosting law enforcement capacity, launching joint counter-narcotic operations, improving communication, and increasing intelligence- sharing about trafficking routes, traffickers, suspicious shipments and other activities, United Nations Office for Drug and Crime (UNODC) which hosted the meeting said.
The ministers and officials also agreed to focus not only on trafficking, but on all aspects of the drug economy, the agency said. This includes stopping the diversion and smuggling of precursor chemicals used to make drugs, locating and destroying drug labs, tackling corruption which facilitates the drug business and halting the laundering of drug money.
They also urged countries where opiates are consumed, particularly the European Union and the Russian Federation, to assume their share of responsibility by curbing the demand that is fuelling the opium trade.
In a joint statement, the ministers of public security and counter-narcotics from the three countries expressed their intention to take action to reduce the threat posed by Afghanistan's opium.
UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa hailed the meeting as a turning point in the fight against Afghanistan's drug problem.
The senior delegates from Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan agreed to hold policy-level coordination meetings at least every six months and technical-level exchanges every three months, UNODC said, predicting that this should improve operational contacts that can stem the flow of drug trafficking from Afghanistan.
The three countries agreed to take steps to improve border management by building more physical barriers, boosting law enforcement capacity, launching joint counter-narcotic operations, improving communication, and increasing intelligence- sharing about trafficking routes, traffickers, suspicious shipments and other activities, United Nations Office for Drug and Crime (UNODC) which hosted the meeting said.
The ministers and officials also agreed to focus not only on trafficking, but on all aspects of the drug economy, the agency said. This includes stopping the diversion and smuggling of precursor chemicals used to make drugs, locating and destroying drug labs, tackling corruption which facilitates the drug business and halting the laundering of drug money.
They also urged countries where opiates are consumed, particularly the European Union and the Russian Federation, to assume their share of responsibility by curbing the demand that is fuelling the opium trade.
In a joint statement, the ministers of public security and counter-narcotics from the three countries expressed their intention to take action to reduce the threat posed by Afghanistan's opium.
UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa hailed the meeting as a turning point in the fight against Afghanistan's drug problem.
The senior delegates from Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan agreed to hold policy-level coordination meetings at least every six months and technical-level exchanges every three months, UNODC said, predicting that this should improve operational contacts that can stem the flow of drug trafficking from Afghanistan.