Asian police officers to meet in RP

Asian police officers to meet in RP

PHILIPPINES: Senior police officers from Asia and the Middle East will meet in Manila next week to map out plans to improve cooperation in fighting transnational crime and terrorism, officials said on Friday.

The meeting, the 18th Interpol Asian Regional Conference, will tackle ways to support regional and national police forces, said a senior Interpol official from its headquarters in Lyon, France.

The official, who declined to be identified, said Interpol secretary-general Ronald K. Noble would encourage police agencies in Asia to connect to Interpol's new I-24/7 global police communications system and database that has information on fugitives, stolen travel documents and vehicles, fingerprints and child abuse cases.

He said the heads of Interpol's national central bureaus in Asia would discuss "how to better use these tools", as well as supporting the search for and investigation of fugitives through other systems and software.

Separate discussions will be held on crime organizations and drug trafficking, as well as development of further antiterrorism efforts, including a review of terror threats and terrorism financing, he added. -- AP