Singapore will organise an anti-drug conference for Asian cities in August next year, said the National Council against Drug Abuse (NCADA).

Mayors, officials and non-governmental organisations from Asian cities can be expected to meet to discuss their respective drug situations and find ways against “sophisticated and well-organised commercial interests”, “The Straits Times” daily quoted NCADA Chairman Victor Lye as saying.

The move is aimed at pushing back the momentum of drug liberalisation policies that more countries and cities have adopted in recent years, said the NCADA Chairman.

According to Lye, the NCADA-led event will come ahead of the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (Ungass) on Drugs to be held in 2016 at the request of Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico to discuss drug policy reform.

For many years, Singapore has intensified its fight against drug abuse and trafficking. In 2013, the Central Narcotics Bureau conducted 46 major operations, including 19 island-wide operations, crippling 20 drug syndicates and arresting 3,581 drug abusers. The estimated street value of the drugs seized in 2013 amounted to 20.5 million SGD, 12 per cent higher than the estimated 18.3 million SGD in 2012.-VNA