TAIPEI: Taiwan and Poland will work together to try to curtail the traffic in contraband. Under a memorandum of understanding (MOU), Taiwan and Poland will exchange information to cooperate in a crackdown on drug trafficking, smuggling of counterfeit products and other customs fraud.

The two sides signed the MOU yesterday. Poland is the first European Union country to sign an accord of this nature with Taiwan.

The agreement was inked by acting Director-General of Customs Lee Mao and Jacek Kapica, head of the Customs Service and Undersecretary of State in the Polish Ministry of Finance, on behalf of their respective governments.

Addressing the ceremony, Kapica said that all governments around the world should cooperate closely to fight customs fraud in order to maintain global market order, thwart cross-border drug trafficking and smuggling of other contraband goods, and to better protect intellectual property rights.

Kapica added he believes other EU countries will follow Poland's lead and sign similar MOUs with Taiwan in the future.

During his visit, Kapica will meet with Taiwanese officials for wide-ranging talks and will visit Taipei and Kaohsiung customs offices to better understand Taiwan's customs operations.

The Polish delegation will also visit a sniffer-dog training center and manpower training facilities to get firsthand information about Taiwan's efforts to fight international drug trafficking and other customs-related crimes.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 07/23/2009 page2)