[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

9/12/99AAP:AUST.FED.POLICE TO BE ST



BURMA-AFP AUST FEDERAL POLICE TO BE STATIONED IN BURMA
DATE:23:50 09-Dec-99

Aust Federal Police to be stationed in Burma Burma AFP

BANGKOK, Dec 9 AAP- Federal police will be based in Burma for the first
time to gauge the threat of a future flood of amphetamines into
Australia.

Australian Federal Police official Mick Keelty said approval to station
a liaison officer in Rangoon from January for a six-month trial was
expected this week.

"We've planned to expand a number of our overseas posts in strategic
areas throughout the world, and the opportunity has arisen for us ... to
trial the posting oa an officer in Rangooon," Mr Keelty, general
manager, national operaitons, said.

He was attending a three-day conference in Bangkok of a regional meeting
of a national drug law enforcement agencies in Asia and the Pacific.

Thailand has been a base for AFP officers, with responsibilities to
cover Burma and the flow of narcotics, mostly heroin, to Australia from
the notorious Golden Triangle region of Burma, Thailand and Laos.

But there has been an explosion of amphetamine-type drug production,
with over 200 million tablets flooding into neighbouring Thailand.

Mr Keelty said the officer's role "will be to facilitate inquiries on
behalf of Australian police agencies in Burma and to also identify
opportunities to cooperate more closely with the law enforcement
agencies in Burma".

Australia is planning to assist the RAngoon government in training,
education and equipment to gain greater cooperation "to facilitate
enquiries for amphetamine type substances and heroin that is coming out
of that part of the world," he said.

Burmese officials said the Rangoon government was determined "to fight
against the drug without or with any assistance from international
assistance abroad".

"If we receive any international assistance we would be more successful
in suppressing drug production and heroin production, "the official,
speaking on behalf of Police Brigadier General Hla Tun, said from the
central committee for drug abuse control. AAP rec/rds/br
-- 
HTTP://www.physics.adelaide.edu.au/~uneoo
EMAILS: drunoo@xxxxxxxxxxxx, uneoo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
POSTMAIL: Dr U Ne Oo, 18 Shannon Place, Adelaide SA 5000, AUSTRALIA
[http://freeburma.org/[http://www.angelfire.com/al/homepageas/index.htm]
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =