Chinese anti-narcotics delegation visit

Thursday, 27 March 2014 - 2:53pm

National News

This week’s visit to Auckland and Wellington by a Chinese police anti-narcotics and forensic drug testing delegation is further evidence of the increasing cooperation with China to combat precursor chemicals and drugs coming to New Zealand.

The visiting delegation hails from the National Narcotics Control Commission of China and included the Chief of China’s Drug Intelligence and Forensic Centre, Mr Xu Guang Han, and the country’s top expert on the identification and analysis of illicit drugs, Lead Chemist Dr Zhen Dong Hua.

The visit was arranged by New Zealand Police to strengthen ties with Chinese counterparts and continue dialogue based on last year’s agreement to combat illegal precursor chemical trade, witnessed by the Prime Minister at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Key activities for the group were to meet with relevant counterparts in Police, OFCANZ, Customs and ESR, including the forensic laboratories in Auckland and Wellington to hold discussions around drug purity analysis techniques and receive presentations on New Zealand’s Psychoactive Substances Act and several initiatives underway.

Detective Inspector Stuart Mills, Co-ordinator of the National Drug Intelligence Bureau said the visit was another important step forward in cooperation with China, looking at both forensic experience and operational knowledge in the area of precursor chemicals..

“The visit focuses us on the important work for both New Zealand and China to prevent illegal narcotics coming from China to New Zealand, and for New Zealand authorities to work closely together on identifying the criminal networks who bring in the drugs to try and make money from other people’s misery”.

Mr Han Xu Guang, Deputy Director General, Chief of the Drug Intelligence and Forensic Centre, National Narcotics Control Commission, Beijing said law enforcement agencies in New Zealand and China are making every effort to combat precursor and drug smuggling from China.

"There are no policy obstacles to the fight against illicit drugs,” he said.

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