S. AFRICAN POLICE, UN JOIN HANDS IN DRUG BATTLE

CAPE TOWN, Dec 14 (Reuters) - South African police and United Nations drug
experts on Monday signed an agreement promising cooperation in the
international fight against drug use and trafficking.

"This is a very happy occasion for the South African Police Service to sign
this collaboration agreement with the United Nations Drug Control
Programme," South African Police Commissioner George Fivaz told a press
conference.

The agreement is aimed at clamping down on the rising number of drugs
available in the country through, initially, the training of 300 of the
country's police personnel, Fivaz said.

"The issue of illegal drug trafficking is on the increase," he said. South
Africa's most freely available drug and the biggest problem was cannabis
and some of its derivatives.

"We are going to engage with international experts," Fivaz said. "We will
pass on the benefits to our neighbour countries as well."

"No police service in the world has the capacity to deal with these things
on its own," Frank Albert of the U.N. International Drug Control Programme
told the conference.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski