Brunei's Local News - Brudirect.com

Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei Darussalam will receive assistance from the Republic of Korea in controlling drug abuse and trafficking in 2010.

The assistance comes under projects between Asian member states and the +3 countries — China, Japan and Korea — which held discussions at the 4th SOMTC + 3 Working Group on Narcotics meeting.

The +3 countries have provided sharing of information and knowledge transfer to the Asian member states to fortify the policies of drug control.

The +3 countries will be aiding Asian member states in various fields related to the control of drugs.

"The Republic of Korea has provided technical

assistance in controlling drug abuse, drug trafficking and everything that relates to drugs. Assistance included provisions of equipment, trainings for officers and sharing of expertise and information related to drugs," said Acting Assistant Director of the Narcotics Control Bureau at the Prime Minister's Office, Muhammad Mu'inuddin Chin bin Abdur Rahman, during an interview with the Bulletin

"Brunei plans to receive such aid from Korea in the year 2010, after they stop by Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia, However, the People's Republic of China only aids in providing training for officers, while Japan is basically helping out in the funding of conferences. Brunei has received narcotics law enforcement training in China before."

Muhammad Mu'inuddin was speaking after the 4"' Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime 3 on Narcotics(SOMTC+3), Asian Senior Officials on Drug Matters (ASOD), ASOD + India Consultation and 51h Asian and China Cooperative Operations in Response to Dangerous Drugs (ACCORD) Joint Task Force meeting ended yesterday.

He said that all of the meetings went smoothly where the Asian member states' endorsement was obtained for the international objectives that the bureau has targeted'

"Five working groups in preventive education, human rehabilitation, law enforcement, research and alternative development were discussed and we have successfully come up with recommendations and suggestions that will be relayed to future meetings. Reports will also be made based on the working groups and brought up at bigger meetings like the AMMTC (ASsean Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime) as a follow up," he said.

The meeting also acted as a platform for the Asian member states to endorse projects and proposals, to understand the needs of each country and Asian as a whole, as well as to seek funds from donor countries for the project proposals.

"India Consultation's first ever involvement in ASOD was aimed to exchange information on the flow of precursor chemicals in the region and the arrests of Asian nationals in India as well as the proposals for several projects," he added.

"India produces precursor chemicals which are generally safe but when mixed with other chemicals can he produce into drugs called 'designer drugs'. The meeting highlighted drug-related problems that India is facing whereby issues involving the diversion of precursor chemicals for use of designer drugs production were discussed."

The 5th ACCORD Joint Task Force meeting has introduced four task force pillars: Task Force I — Civic Awareness; Task Force II — Demand Reduction; Task Force III —Law Enforcement and; Task Force IV — Alternative Development.

Muhammad Mu'inuddin said Brunei will only be active in the Task Force I, II and III where Task Force IV only applies to drug-producing countries. A meeting held last month has relayed a report which was mentioned during the ACCORD Joint Task Force meeting. New projects will be underway next year as discussed in the meeting.

"The meeting focused on the four working groups as well as training which is currently underway. The new projects that we have agreed upon will be funded from the ACCORD account. Brunei has undergone one of the projects which were treatment-rehabilitation of drug addicts which took place in Vietnam. More projects were proposed by Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam and they all have been discussed and looked into during the meeting." -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin