PANO - The 15th ministerial-level meeting between Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos on drugs prevention and combat took place on December 9th-10th in Ho Chi Minh City.

Addressing the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, Chairman of the National Committee for HIV/AIDS, Drugs and Prostitution Prevention and Control, said that the drug-related crimes in the Southeast Asian region have become sophisticated over the past time. Therefore, the Vietnamese government hopes to closely work with Cambodian and Lao functional agencies to fight drug trafficking, contributing to ensuring political stability and social order to develop a sustainable economy in the respective nations, he added.

Deputy Prime Minister delivering the opening speech.

All participants also agreed that the trilateral agreement on cross-border drugs prevention has been increasingly enhanced with positive results and the meeting will create an opportunity for the three countries to work out measures to continue preventing drug-related crimes

They also shared hundreds of pieces of information on drug-related crimes, which have helped detect 1,813 cases in 19 Vietnamese provinces bordering with Cambodia and Laos since last December.

The competent agencies have worked together to bust 21 drug trafficking rings and eradicate 12 complicated drug hot-beds, seizing over 455 kg of heroin, 4,000 kg of dried cannabis leaves, and 220,000 synthetic pills.

Participants suggested the three countries step up their cooperation in the field via raising local residents' awareness of the issues and expanding the program of building drug-free border areas.

Translated by Huu Duc