KUALA LUMPUR, March 13 — Malaysian police have been selected to host a regional anti-drug forum among regional drug enforcement personnel in cooperation with United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) officials.

The 35th International Drug Enforcement Conference-Far East Regional Working Group (IDEC-FERWG), from today until tomorrow, includes 78 representatives from 17 countries who will be coordinating their efforts to fight international drug trafficking.

Federal Narcotics Crime Investigations Department (NCID) deputy director Deputy Commissioner Datuk Kang Chez Chiang said the objective of the meeting was to update member countries on the progress of investigations made against targets and to discuss emerging threats in the region.

"The delegates will also discuss regional and global drug trafficking trends, cooperation between different countries’ police force in carrying out joint operations,” he said in a statement today.

The IDEC-FERWG held at the JW Marriot Hotel in the city is co-chaired by Kang along with DEA Far East Region regional director Jesse R. Fong.

Kang said delegates would then present their deliberations during the IDEC scheduled in Rotterdam, Netherlands coming April.

Among the participating countries were Australia, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Vietnam and the United States of America.