India Wednesday assured a visiting Maldives delegation of help the Indian Ocean nation in setting up a police academy, forensic science laboratory, corporate fraud cell and as also train its officers in investigating cyber crime and economic offences.

The delegation, led by Home Minister Mohamed Shihab Shihab and including Commissioner of Police Ahmed Faseeh and Deputy Head of Strategic Development Department Yoonus Sobah, visited the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) headquarters and the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) here.

It also visited the DNA lab, computer forensics and voice spectrograph division, ballistics division and lie-detection division in the CFSL.

'The delegation expressed their desire for support of the CBI and CFSL for providing services of officers for setting up a Maldivian police academy, development of forensic laboratory in Maldives, training and consultancy in investigating corporate and white collar crimes and for providing expertise and assistance dealing with narcotics and drugs-related crime,' a CBI spokesman said.

'CBI director Ashwani Kumar assured the delegation of all possible assistance,' he added.