East African police chiefs have vowed to crack down on criminals in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to ensure that the east African region becomes a hub of tourism, trade and investment, reported The New Vision Newspaper on Monday.

A press release from the East African Community (EAC) was quoted as saying that this was reached at the end of a high-level meeting of the EAC Interstate Security Committee at weekend at theEAC headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

Uganda's Inspector General of Police Major General Katumba Wamala chaired the meeting.

Others present were Kenyan police director of operations David Kimaiyo who represented the police commissioner and Tanzania's Inspector General of Police Omari Iddi Mahita.

The press release quoted Wamala as saying that police chiefs inthe region were determined to ensure that no criminal hid in any of the partner states.

He said that free movement of persons, factors of production and the move to invest in the region was bound to bring along criminal activities.

The EAC was formed by the three east African countries in 2001.