US embassy gives law enforcement tools to Lao customs department
US embassy gives law enforcement tools to Lao customs department
The US Embassy on Wednesday donated tools and equipment to assist Lao Customs officers to inspect vehicles for contraband.
This handy kit gives narcotics interdiction officers everything they need to inspect, probe or open packages. The tools permit hand inspection of small spaces involving physical probing and common small object disassembly for inspection or safety purpos es.
Director of the Embassy's Law Enforcement and Narcotics Section, Mr Lacy Wright, presented the donation to Mr Bouasone Sayasouk at the Lao Customs Headquarters at the Ministry of Finance.
Mr Wright said the items were meant for the 32 Customs officers who had participated in the international border interdiction training sponsored by the US Embassy in May. Included, he noted, were highly specialised Personal Tool Kits to be used for vehicle inspection at bridges and other points of entry into Laos.
Mr Bouasone, who is Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Division, thanked the US government for the equipment, which he said complemented the training that officers had received and would help Lao Customs pursue its law-enforcement responsibilities.
He also highlighted the fact that the roles and responsibilities of Customs administrations world-wide were changing and becoming more challenging.
In the past, Customs focused only on revenue collection; now, in addition, Customs had to facilitate legitimate trade and interdict illicit transactions and activities.
The US embassy-funded training in May was given by instructors from the Customs and Border Protection Agency in Washington, DC, and included practical exercises at the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge in Vientiane.
Mr Wright noted that US assistance to Laos had started about 25 years ago, and for some years concentrated on anti-narcotics aid.
“Now, we are trying to do more, knowing that for any country wishing to uphold the rule of law, all of its law-enforcement agencies must be strong,” he said.
vientiane times
