The ASEAN Law Enforcement Leaders’ Conference on Cooperation in Combating Wanted Criminals opened in Hanoi on Sept. 30, hosted by Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security.

The conference, themed “Strengthening regional cooperation for a law-abiding ASEAN free of wanted criminals,” brought together law enforcement officials from across the regional bloc.

Vietnamese Minister of Public Security Gen. Luong Tam Quang and Deputy Minister of Public Security Senior Lt. Gen. Le Van Tuyen chaired the conference.

Also attending were heads of delegations from ASEAN countries, representatives of the ASEAN Secretariat and ASEAN embassies, as well as officials from relevant agencies in Vietnam and other member states.

Speaking at the conference, Quang said that amid deepening globalization and international integration, transnational crime in general and crimes involving wanted fugitives in particular have become increasingly complex, posing major challenges for law enforcement agencies both within the region and worldwide.

Since the beginning of 2026, transnational crime involving ASEAN countries has continued to increase amid global and regional crime trends and domestic socioeconomic changes, he said.

Drug trafficking, human trafficking and online fraud have been particularly prominent, employing increasingly sophisticated methods that complicate prevention and enforcement efforts.

At the same time, the number of wanted criminals and offenders exploiting ASEAN member states to commit illegal acts has continued to rise, seriously undermining respect for the rule of law and weakening the effectiveness of criminal justice systems.

These developments pose significant challenges and require stronger international cooperation among regional and global law enforcement agencies in combating transnational crime, Quang said.

The minister described ASEAN as one of the most important multilateral cooperation mechanisms for Vietnam.

During more than 30 years as an ASEAN member, Vietnam has put forward initiatives and made contributions aimed at strengthening the bloc’s unity, resilience and self-reliance while maintaining its central role in promoting regional peace, stability and security.

To improve cooperation in combating wanted criminals during ASEAN’s new stage of development, Vietnam initiated the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Enhancing the Effectiveness of Cooperation in Apprehending Wanted Criminals, which was adopted at the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Oct. 26, 2025.

The declaration provides an important foundation for stronger coordination between Vietnam and other ASEAN countries in verifying, apprehending and handling wanted criminals, with the goals of making ASEAN a model for combating transnational crime and working toward a region free of crime.

To translate the declaration into effective and substantive regional action, Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security organized the Hanoi conference under the theme “Strengthening regional cooperation for a law-abiding ASEAN free of wanted criminals.”

Quang described the conference as an important forum for senior ASEAN law enforcement leaders to strengthen connections and improve cooperation in combating wanted criminals across the region.

The initiative is also intended to contribute to the effective implementation of the ASEAN Plan of Action in Combating Transnational Crime for 2026-2035.

Dinh Hieu