Jordanian Minister of Environment Khalid Irani said on Wednesday that Jordan would establish environmental police soon to enhance environmental monitoring, local media reported.

Irani made the announcement at a meeting with a visiting Finnish delegation, during which Jordan and Finland agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding on environmental cooperation.

Irani didn't disclose an exact date for the establishment of the special police.

Since earlier this year, Jordan has been in the process of establishing a special "Environmental Police Department" to deal with all violators of environmental integrity in the country.

Jordan has set up a special committee composed of Jordan's Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Public Security Department as well as the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature.

The committee has convened several times to develop a legislative and administrative framework for the environmental police, said local media.

According to sources in the committee, the environmental police will be a special department under Jordan's Police Department with around 750 staff.

The mandate will be strong and comprehensive, since the environmental police will be entrusted with many tasks including

inspecting factories, industrial zones, and picnic areas and fining violators of environmental laws, said the sources.

Source: Xinhua