Improving the knowledge of the Port Control Units and Air Cargo Control Units in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on illicit/counterfeit medicines

On 4 June 2020, UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia facilitated Online training on illicit/counterfeit medicines for  the members of the Port Control Units (PCU) and Air Cargo Control Units (ACCU) established under UNODC-World Customs Organization (WCO) Global Container Control Programme in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The training was organized by WCO Intellectual Property Rights team in cooperation with the Container Control Programme (CCP) team and the WCO Regional Intelligence Liaison Officers. The session provided comprehensive data and effective tools for law enforcement officers to learn and recognize the genuine pharmaceutical products from illicit/counterfeit ones, which have significantly increased during COVID-19 pandemic. The training also contributed to better targeting and profiling high-risk consignments, which may potentially contain dangerous medical goods.

The webinar was facilitated by an expert from the well-known pharmaceutical company and covered the topics related to original packaging of the products, the list of necessary documents that shall accompany the medical goods during export, transit and import regimes. Participants also had an opportunity to learn about the difference between original and fake medical products through the provided materials. CCP PCUs from Central Asia noted the importance and the usefulness of the training activity for the effective law enforcement interdiction and suppression of trafficking counterfeit medicines and related products which pose a threat to health and security at the global level.

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