Korean National Police Agency hosts International Conference on Narcotics
The Korean National Police Agency opened a two-day International Conference on Narcotics (ICON) at Seoul Dragon City hotel in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on Thursday.
"About 170 domestic and foreign experts are gathering under the shared goal of eradicating cross-border drug crime," the agency said Thursday. "They will share investigative techniques for responding to rapidly evolving drug offenses and explore avenues for inter-agency cooperation."
Acting Commissioner General Kim Jong-cheol said in his opening remarks that international cooperation must be strengthened as drug crime spreads across borders and methods grow increasingly sophisticated. "I hope this event will serve as an opportunity to share experience and expertise in narcotics investigations and to explore more effective approaches together," he said.
Held under the theme "Combating drugs across the border," this year's conference covers four topics: undercover operations targeting drug crime, new drug types including e-cigarettes laced with narcotics, tracing and recovering illegal proceeds in virtual assets through encrypted messaging platforms, and securing and maintaining the admissibility of evidence in transnational drug crime cooperation.
Drug enforcement agencies from 24 countries — including the United States, Australia and Thailand — traveled to Seoul for the conference, as did five international organizations: INTERPOL, ACEANAPOL, the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB). Domestic agencies joining the Korean National Police Agency include the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, the prosecution service, the Korea Coast Guard and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
The International Conference on Narcotics was launched in 2010 to share drug crime intelligence with law enforcement agencies around the world and promote cooperative investigations. This year marks its 14th edition.
arin@heraldcorp.com
