Vietnam makes proposals at ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime

Minister Lam said ASEAN law enforcement agencies should continue to effectively and substantively promote the implementation of co-operation programmes and plans relating to transnational crime prevention and control under the existing ASEAN multilateral cooperation mechanisms.

It is imperative to increase the exchange of information and share experiences in combating transnational criminal gangs in the region, especially in relation to drug crime, cybercrime, and hi-tech crime, Minister Lam stressed.

He also suggested that ASEAN law enforcement agencies closely co-ordinate as part of efforts to verify, apprehend, receive, and extradite wanted individuals within the framework of bilateral and multilateral ties.

The Vietnamese Minister went on to point out that regional member states should continue to effectively implement action plans within the framework of ASEAN and between the bloc and its dialogue partners. He added that states should accelerate negotiations and sign bilateral co-operation documents on crime prevention and control in order to create a favourable legal corridor for further regional co-operation.

Among the documents he mentioned were an agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, an agreement on criminal extradition, as well as an agreement on the transfer of convicts.

During the meeting, Minister Lam also shared Vietnamese experience in crime prevention and control, noting that it has reinforced measures aimed at preventing, fighting, and dismantling several criminal groups operating drug and human trafficking rings, along with combating illegal migration, cybercrime, hi-tech and terrorist crimes, and other transnational crimes.

Vietnam, as an ASEAN member country, is fully committed to actively and responsibly participating in the bloc’s co-operation frameworks in general, especially co-operation in transnational crime prevention and control, he affirmed.

In his opening remarks, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Security Samdech Krolahom Sar Kheng, stated that transnational crimes, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, have evolved in an increasingly complicated and unpredicted manner through sophisticated forms and tricks. In addition, there has been an increase in the various types of crimes such as those relating to human trafficking, terrorism, illegal drug trafficking, and money laundering, despite travel restrictions put in place due to the pandemic.

In this context, promoting and expanding co-operation among dialogue partner countries to jointly find solutions and appropriate plans to minimise the impact and risk to security, politics, peace, and prosperity in each ASEAN member state and the bloc as a whole is very important, he stressed.

Delegates went on to examine the results of the fight against transnational crime in each country, shared their various experiences, and devised co-operation measures in this field.

AMMTC 16 and related meetings are scheduled to last through to September 22.