ARAB ANTI-DRUG ABUSE CONFERENCE OPENS IN TUNIS

Arab officials in charge of combating drugs met in Tunis Wednesday to
discuss ways of fighting drug production, trafficking and distribution in
the Arab world.

The 14th session of the Arab anti-drug department heads, inaugurated by
Ahmed Bin Mohammad Salim, Secretary General of Arab Interior Ministers
Council, also explored means of stepping up Arab cooperation on drug abuse.

The Arab officials discussed a proposal on controlling money laundering in
the Arab countries to deprive drug traffickers of their over US$500 billion
annual profits.

The proposal, suggested by the council's general secretariat, hopes to help
Arab countries enact relevant regulations to this effect.

A study submitted to the conference showed that anti-drug abuse departments
in some Arab countries seized 500 tons of hashish, 300 kilograms of opium,
25 million drug pills while 230,000 were convicted in 150,000 drug-related
cases during the 1997-1999 period.

The conference will work out a report for discussion at the next session of
the Arab Interior Ministers.

In l999, the Arab Interior Ministers Council approved an Arab
anti-terrorism Treaty signed by 12 countries, namely Saudi Arabia, Qatar,
Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Sudan,
Syria, Tunisia and Yemen.