UNODC Passenger and Cargo Border Team enhances theoretical knowledge of the Port Control Units of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan through the UNODC-WCO Global Container Control Programme

On 26-29 March 2024, the joint subregional refresher theoretical training was organized in Turkmenabad, Turkmenistan for 18 officers of the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan, the Customs Committee under the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan, including the members of the Port Control Units (PCU), deployed at the Customs posts Kopetdag, Farap, and Turkmenbashi seaport of Turkmenistan and Alat, Tekhkontora Chukursay, Ayritom, Yallama, and the National Information-Analytical Center on Drug Control of the Republic of Uzbekistan within the framework of the UNODC-World Customs Organization (WCO) Global Container Control Programme (CCP). 

The training, led by Mr. Svetlan Savov, WCO international expert, was aimed at strengthening the theoretical knowledge and skills of the above officers in the profiling and inspection of high-risk cargo and the use of modern Customs control techniques.

Participants refreshed their knowledge of the WCO Container Convention, maritime commercial documents, information about import, export, transit documents, freight, risk assessment and targeting, risk indicators and profiling, Container specification (E-BIC), shipment’s commercial documents. 

Participants also touched upon modus operandi of container concealments, rip on-rip off, seal tampering, as well as elaborated upon modern inspection tools, drug routing and precursors control, intellectual property rights (IPR), CITES, corruption and integrity, safety and security measures while inspecting the containers. Methods of communication among the units regionally and globally by using the WCO ContainerCOMM platform for secure information sharing were discussed.

Practical aspects to be diligent upon, including targeting and documentation control, profiling based on selectivity, cargo pre-arrival data exchange about the selected shipments with the counterpart PCU, as well as health and safety issues were discussed and elaborated upon.

The training was recognized by the participants as a good opportunity to refresh their knowledge on a wide range of aspects, as well as to establish and strengthen the mutual working contacts among the units of both countries.

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