Strengthening regional cooperation in fighting illicit drugs and precursors trafficking under UNODC-WCO Global Container Control Programme

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for Central Asia organized an Online Regional Seminar on Combatting Illicit Drugs and Precursors Trafficking under the UNODC and the World Customs Organization (WCO) Global Container Control Programme (CCP) on 10-12 November 2020 for some eighty Customs officers, Port Control Units/Air Cargo Control Unit members and other competent authorities from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. CCP donors from the Embassy 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 also attended the event.

The CCP focuses on a series of capacity building measures, including the creation of Port Control Units/Air Cargo Control Units (PCU/ACCU) that are staffed, trained and equipped to undertake the systematic profiling and inspection of high-risk consignments with minimum disruption to legitimate trade. The package of measures also includes arranging training workshops (theoretical, practical, advanced and mentorship) to introduce risk-based profiling of containers and improved the information exchange at the national, regional and international levels on container crime.

The Regional Seminar on Combatting Illicit Drugs and Precursors Trafficking is part of CCP advanced training and aims to strengthen the knowledge and skills of the officers from the Customs Administrations of Central Asia, members of PCUs/ACCU in combatting illicit drugs and precursors trafficking, synthetic drugs and new psychotropic substances. The training has been developed based on beneficiary countries priorities and needs and is in line with agreed Workplan of Distance Learning Activities for 2020 for Central Asia.

During the opening ceremony, Ms. Ashita Mittal, UNODC Regional Representative for Central Asia stressed that this regional seminar is taking place during COVID-19 pandemic and saluted the efforts of the frontline officers in preventing their borders being exploited for trafficking of illicit goods.

The workshop provided an excellent opportunity for PCU/ACCU members to review illicit drug trends in the region, learn how to identify precursor chemicals and detect illegal precursor shipments, raise awareness about opioids, synthetic drugs and precursors and new psychotropic substances as well as analyze seizures of drugs and information sources, case studies on Illicit drug and precursors trafficking in the region and illegal labs and waste dumping.

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.

 

Additional information:

With any queries please contact

Shakhnoza Zafari

Communication and External Relations Officer

Mobile: +998935547895

E-mail: shakhnoza.zafari[at]un.org