POLICE CHIEFS TO STRENGTHEN DRUG FIGHT

YANGON -- South-east Asian police chiefs have agreed to forge stronger
cooperation to fight cross-border crime, especially in locating
illegal drug laboratories between Thailand and Myanmar.

A communique issued at the end of the 20th annual conference of police
chiefs from the 10 member states of Asean on Wednesday said that
collaboration needed to be intensified as drug-related crimes were
becoming more complex.

"The conference recommended that member countries, particularly
Thailand and Myanmar, continue to exchange intelligence and enhance
co-operation on matters relating to the location of illegal drug
refineries," it said.

Thai authorities have expressed frustration at millions of
methamphetamines which it says are trafficked from eastern Myanmar,
particularly from areas under control of armed groups such as the
United Wa State Army, or UWSA.

Myanmar, also the world's second largest producer of opium, from which
heroin is derived, argues that drug production is only made possible
by importation of chemicals from other neighbouring countries. The
UWSA has been described by the US State Department as the world's
largest drug-trafficking organisation.

At the three-day meeting held at a downtown Yangon hotel, police
chiefs discussed drug trafficking, use of fraudulent travel documents,
commercial crime and credit card fraud, officials said.