Azeri, Georgian and Turkmen Customs officials work together to identify high-risk consignments

At the end of 2016, the members of the Port Control Units (PCU) in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkmenistan conducted a joint operation on a controlled cargo under the UNODC-WCO Global Container Control Programme.  Georgian PCU officers initiated the operation on high-risk consignment of the acetic substance transported from Turkey to Turkmenistan via Georgia and Azerbaijan. PCU members exchanged information on cargo's itinerary and movement through ContainerComm system - a secure communication application developed by the World Customs Organization.

Based on the information received from Georgian and Azeri counterparts, the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan's officials conducted a detailed examination and inspected the consignment with X-ray equipment at the International Customs Terminal in Ashgabat with nothing suspicious found.  Later the Ministry of the Textile Industry of Turkmenistan has sent an official letter confirming that the cargo has "acetic acid 80%," which destined for legal use in manufacturing.  The consignment was released and went to its final destination in the country.

The Azeri, Georgian, and Turkmen Customs officials referred to this exercise as a good example of collaborative efforts at national and regional levels and expressed their readiness to further strengthen cooperation among customs agencies in the region.

The CCP Regional Segment for Central Asia and Azerbaijan is funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and the Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) Program as well as the Government of Japan.