Thirty Myanmar policemen Friday began a month-long training course in combating the narcotics trade, at a police academy in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

The training course is the second of its kind China has offered to Myanmar policemen since early 2002, when it trained 25.

The course was launched under a decision made in 2001 by ministers from China, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand on anti-narcotics cooperation.

Sun Dahong, deputy director of Yunnan Provincial Public Security Department, said that policemen from the province, in joint operations with their Myanmar counterparts, have uncovered 17 drug trafficking cases, destroyed a drug plant and seized 74 suspected traffickers.

Yunnan borders Myanmar.

(Xinhua News Agency August 23, 2003)