23/08/2004

UN to help Pakistan tackle drugs and crime scourge

The UN has pledged to offer technical assistance to help Pakistan in the fight against drug trafficking and organised crime.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) today announced the new agreement which will strengthen key agencies in Pakistan and enhance law enforcement in states bordering Afghanistan.

The agreement, which was signed in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on Saturday, provides for an $811,000 two-year project to better equip the country’s law enforcement agencies to conduct intelligence-led operations.

The agencies will be offered advisory services, training and relevant equipment. Immediate beneficiaries include the Anti Narcotics Force, the Frontier Corps which operates in the two key border areas of North-West Frontier Province and Baluchistan, and the Federal Investigation Agency.

“Investigating and dismantling criminal groups engaged in drug trafficking and organized crime requires a strong intelligence capacity,” the Vienna-UNODC said.

“In the context of an increased need for strengthening law enforcement capacity in countries surrounding Afghanistan, it is vital to strengthen Pakistan’s intelligence capacity.”

In recognition of the importance of cross-border cooperation at an operational level among neighbouring states, the project will also support regional collaboration among Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.

(gmcg)

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