Provinces and cities across Vietnam will be linked to an electronic database of drug-related offences from next year, according to a conference in Hanoi on Dec. 19


The conference, co-organised by the Standing Office in Drugs and Crime under the Ministry of Public Security and the Korean International Cooperation Agency, is looking to crack down on drug-related crime in Vietnam .


The project, worth 2.87 million USD, has received nearly 2.4 million USD in the form of official development assistance from KOICA and the remainder from the Vietnamese Government.


It is part of a project combating drug-related crime in five ASEAN countries including Vietnam , Cambodia , Laos , the Philippines and Indonesia .


The three-year project ends next year and aims to increase the capacity of national drug control agencies, and build a data base to help ministries, agencies and local authorities join hands in tackling drug-related crime.


The database is also expected to help the Ministry of Public Security improve and enact the implementation of drug control policy.


The electronic system will link drug-related data between ministries and relevant agencies throughout the country.


Development of the database is taking place with drug-related officials from both central and local levels receiving training with the help of experts from the Republic of Korea since June 2010.


At the conference, major general Vu Hung Vuong, deputy head of the General Department for Crime Prevention under the Ministry of Public Security, said drug-related offences have became a global problem.


He also said Vietnam hopes to contribute to building a drug-free ASEAN by 2015./.