United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Central Asia

Enhanced collaboration across borders leads to the interception of narcotics by customs and border officers stationed at the UNODC-supported Border Liaison Offices

Regional cooperation among law enforcement agencies is pivotal in combating transnational organized crime, particularly illicit drug trafficking. The UNODC facilitates member countries in establishing a regional platform to collectively address the challenges posed by drug trafficking. A central component of this effort is the promotion of cross-border cooperation through the Border Liaison Offices (BLOs) network to tackle transnational threats and organized crime effectively.

These offices play a pivotal role in identifying and halting various smuggling activities, including narcotics, psychotropic substances, and precursor chemicals, all while facilitating lawful international trade.

On 7 March 2024, customs and border officers from the UNODC-supported BLO stationed at the Oybek border crossing point in the Tashkent region of Uzbekistan, in coordination with their counterparts from the BLO at the Fotehobod border crossing point in Tajikistan, thwarted an attempt to smuggle two kilograms of hashish. During the inspection of a cargo van, officers discovered two plastic bags attached to the trailer with magnets, containing a total of 1,981 grams of hashish.

The BLOs at the Oybek and Fotehobod border crossing points are two of 24 such offices strategically positioned at key border checkpoints across Central Asia. These offices have been established under the Regional Project on Enhancing Cross-Border Cooperation by Strengthening the Capacity of Border Liaison Offices in Central Asia of Sub-programme 1 Preventing and Countering Transnational Organized Crime of the UNODC Programme for Central Asia 2022 - 2025.
This pioneering project, supported by the Government of Japan, strives to establish BLOs across Central Asia, with stakeholder involvement from the Ministries of Internal Affairs, Border Troops, Customs Services, and Drug Control Agencies of each participating country. Its overarching goal is to bolster the capabilities of BLO officers representing various law enforcement agencies in combating transnational organized crime through comprehensive training programmes and the provision of state-of-the-art equipment.

Such collaborative efforts highlight a shared commitment to preventing and countering transnational organized crime, making the borders in Central Asia safer and more secure.

*The photos are taken from kun.uz