AIT Deputy Director Keegan Remarks at DEA Training Seminar: "Precursor Chemical Control"

DDIR-061405-01E | Date: 2005-06-14

Minister Shih, Director-General Yeh, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

It is a pleasure to be here today to welcome you to this training program on Precursor Chemical Control.  As law enforcement officials, you are on the front lines of Taiwan's efforts to combat the production and trafficking of narcotics in the East Asia region.

Your efforts in this regard have been noteworthy.  Once a major transit point for narcotics headed to the United States, Taiwan authorities have taken swift and decisive action to enhance your ability to crackdown on both production and trafficking.  Even though Taiwan cannot be a party to the 1988 U.N. Drug Convention, your laws have been amended and are consistent with the goals and objectives of this Convention.  This is in keeping with Taiwan's noteworthy efforts to be a model citizen of the international community.

Working from an excellent legal foundation, law enforcement officers have made a number of important drug seizures, and have enhanced airport interdiction, coast guard and customs inspection, surveillance and other investigative methods so that the flow of heroin and other illegal drugs from Taiwan to the U.S. has been seriously impeded.

The United States, AIT, and our U.S. law enforcement colleagues around the region are grateful for the excellent relationship we have with you.  The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau, and the National Police Administration's Criminal Investigation Bureau have provided particularly helpful assistance as we work to counter the efforts of organizations in this region engaged in illegal activities.

The training seminar being conducted this week by our Drug Enforcement Agency is another building block in our already excellent and productive relationship with Taiwan's law enforcement institutions.  Taiwan authorities already control the precursor chemicals that are designated by the 1998 U.N. Drug Convention.  However, preventing the diversions of chemicals for illicit drug production can only be achieved by enhancing the working relationships between the various agencies in Taiwan.  We hope that this seminar will assist Taiwan law enforcement and regulatory agencies to better understand precursor chemicals and the elements required to create an effective control program.

In recent years, Taiwan has created and implemented an anti-narcotics regime that meets international standards.  As law enforcement officials, it is up to you to strengthen and enforce those measures.  I wish you luck in that endeavor and I applaud you for your efforts thus far.