Countering illicit trafficking in Cambodia: UNODC supplies vital communications and office equipment to border liaison offices
Phnom Penh (Cambodia), 15 July 2010 - To strengthen Cambodia's capacity to counter transnational trafficking, UNODC, in cooperation with the National Authority for Combating Drugs, has supplied a border liaison office in Preah Vihear province with computers, communication devices, office furniture and vehicles.
An official handover ceremony, led by Lieutenant-General Moek Dara from the National Authority for Combating Drugs and UNODC Country Manager Oliver Lermet, was held on 6 July 2010 in Phnom Penh at the office of the National Authority for Combating Drugs.
After the ceremony, Mr. Lermet said that "UNODC is happy to assist in an expansion of the border liaison office mandate to threats posed by transnational organized crime such as wildlife trafficking and the smuggling of migrants".
The new equipment will greatly strengthen the capacity of the border liaison office in Preah Vihear province. It will also allow for improved and direct communication with other border liaison offices, which will in turn foster greater cooperation between Cambodia and the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
The
border liaison office mechanism was developed 10 years ago by the six countries of the Greater Mekong subregion and UNODC to encourage cooperation between law enforcement units working at national borders.
To date, more than 40 such offices have been established along the borders of Cambodia, China, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Thailand, Myanmar and Viet Nam to allow law enforcement agencies to carry out real-time joint operations and exchange information.
