Hanoi (VNA) - Leaders of ASEAN law enforcement agencies gathered in Hanoi on September 30 for a conference on cooperation in combating wanted criminals, focusing on strengthening regional coordination toward a law-abiding ASEAN free of fugitive criminals.
The ASEAN Law Enforcement High-level Conference on Cooperation in Combating Criminal Fugitives was hosted by the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security.
In his opening remarks, Minister of Public Security General Luong Tam Quang said amid deepening globalisation and international integration, transnational crime in general and crimes committed by wanted persons in particular have become increasingly complex, posing major challenges to law enforcement agencies in the region and around the world.
Since the beginning of 2026, transnational crime involving ASEAN countries has continued to increase amid global and regional crime trends and domestic socio-economic changes, particularly drug-related crime, human trafficking and cyber fraud, which are being carried out through increasingly sophisticated methods, Quang said.
Fugitive criminals and those taking advantage of the territory of ASEAN member states to commit offences have also continued to increase, seriously affecting respect for the rule of law and weakening the criminal justice system, Quang said, noting that the situation has created greater challenges and highlighted the need for stronger international cooperation among law enforcement agencies in the region and worldwide in fighting transnational crime.
Quang affirmed that ASEAN is a directly connected and highly important multilateral cooperation mechanism for Vietnam. Over more than 30 years of ASEAN membership, Vietnam has put forward many initiatives and made important contributions to promoting a united, strong and self-reliant ASEAN and its central role in maintaining peace, stability and security in the region.
To improve cooperation in combating wanted criminals within ASEAN, Vietnam proposed an initiative to adopt an ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on enhancing the effectiveness of cooperation in tracking fugitives at the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2025. Adopting the declaration provided an important basis for Vietnam and other ASEAN countries to enhance coordination in verifying, apprehending, and handling wanted persons, in line with building ASEAN as a model in combating transnational crime and working toward a crime-free ASEAN.
The conference serves as an important forum for senior ASEAN law enforcement leaders to strengthen connections and improve cooperation in combating fugitives, contributing to the effective implementation of the ASEAN Plan of Action on Combating Transnational Crime for 2026–2035.
It further demonstrated Vietnam’s commitment as an active, proactive and responsible member of ASEAN multilateral cooperation mechanisms in security and crime prevention and control, contributing to maintaining peace and security in each member state and the region, Quang stressed.
The minister expressed his belief that the conference will establish a new and effective cooperation mechanism for ASEAN law enforcement agencies in combating wanted criminals, contributing to effectively implementing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
The conference features plenary sessions, discussions, and working sessions aimed at reaching agreement on strategic orientations for combating wanted criminals in the coming period, with a focus on the conference’s joint declaration and the ASEAN joint action plan on strengthening cooperation in combating fugitive criminals./.
