Officials of Vietnam and Thailand met in Ho Chi Minh City on Sept. 6 to seek measures to step up the fight against drug-related crimes.

The participants shared information about drug crimes in their respective countries, reviewed the results of cooperative efforts and discussed aspects of cooperation planned for the future.

While addressing the conference, Major General Cao Minh Nhan, Deputy General Director of the General Criminal Prevention Police Department of the Ministry of Public Security, re-affirmed Vietnam ’s strong commitment to cooperating with Thailand in this field.

Nhan also applauded the close and effective coordination of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board of Thailand (ONCB) in combating drug crimes.

Gen. Krisna Polananta, Secretary General of the ONCB, said the smuggling of medicine for treating colds that contains the addictive substance, pseudoephedrine, to the Golden Triangle has been on the rise.

He requested concerned Vietnamese agencies closely monitor suspect shipments to the country and inform the ONCB in order to jointly deal with these cases.

The Thai official also proposed Vietnam update his agency on suspects of African origin, saying that tightened cooperation is a vital factor in the fight against drug crimes.

Vietnam and Thailand signed a cooperation agreement on drug control in 2001 and since then the two nations have organised a range of activities to share experiences in drug prevention, detoxification and management of former addicts./.