To prevent drugs on-line

On 11-15 April 2016 the law-enforcement officers from the Ministry of Interior and the Customs of Uzbekistan took part in the training course on prevention of drug trade via the internet.  Training was jointly organized by the UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia (ROCA) and the Italian Embassy in Uzbekistan within the framework of the "NATO-UNODC Partnership Project on Counter-Narcotics Training of Central Asian, Afghan and Pakistani Law Enforcement Personnel". Mr. Lorenzo Agostini, Director of the "Drug@Online" Section of the Central Italian Counter Narcotics Directorate (D.C.S.A.), was invited to facilitate this training.

The NATO-UNODC partnership project on counter narcotics training is designed to deliver high-quality, professional law enforcement training to mid-level counter-drug officers in order to help them combat the threat of trafficking of opiates within and through their territories. 

Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Italian Ambassador to Uzbekistan, H.E. Mr. Riccardo Manara, mentioned that this training will further strengthen cooperation between the Uzbek and Italian law-enforcement agencies, as well as between the UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia and the NATO.  

Ms. Ashita Mittal, UNODC Regional Representative welcomed the partnership and  emphasized that UNODC was fully committed to support countries in the region in strengthening their capacities to respond to the emerging challenges.

Mr. Azizbek Erkabaev, Head of the Department of International Relations of the National Information and Analytical Centre on Drug Control under the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan, expressed appreciation for the training and suggested to continue training of law enforcement officers in this field.  

Final participant's evaluation of the training showed strong interest for further training in this area and appreciation for high quality facilitation of the course.