TEHRAN – Iran was chosen as the first vice president of the 43rd Meetings of Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies (HONLEA), Asia and the Pacific, which is underway in Bangkok, Thailand from October 22 to 25.

Annually organized by United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC), HONLEA is a meeting designed to allow participants to discuss major regional drug trafficking trends and countermeasures.

Masoud Zahedian, head of Iran’s Anti-Narcotics Police, was elected as the first vice president of the conference by a vote of all member states present at the meeting.The meeting is also a venue to for practitioners and law enforcement agents to exchange expertise, share best practices and information on drug-related matters and to develop a coordinated response. 

Membership of HONLEA for East Asia and the Pacific is open to any state or territory that is a member or associate member of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

Masoud Zahedian, head of Iran’s Anti-Narcotics Police, was elected as the first vice president of the conference by a vote of all member states present at the meeting, ISNA news agency reported on Tuesday.

Prevention of drug abuse, treatment of drug use disorders, rehabilitation, recovery and social reintegration; prevention, treatment and care of blood-borne infectious diseases, prevention of drug-related crime, countering illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, misuse of pharmaceuticals are among the topics being discussed during the event.

FB/MG