The UNODC-WCO Global Container Control Programme sustains capacity and skills of the Air Cargo Control Units in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan

The UNODC and the World Customs Organization (WCO) have jointly developed the Global Container Control Programme (CCP) to assist Governments in creating sustainable enforcement structures in selected sea, dry, and air ports to minimize the risk of exploiting the international trade supply chain in illicit purposes.

The CCP builds local capacity of relevant law-enforcement agencies, with the trained officials being capable to conduct risk-based assessment of trucks and containers on selected sites and key points along the trade corridors in the region. The trained officials are further integrated into the global network of cargo profilers liaising through the WCO ContainerCOMM information sharing system and participate in regional and international operational exercises and practical events.

One of the core elements of the capacity-building package is mentoring programme, which aims at strengthening the knowledge and skills of the members of Port Control Units (PCUs) and Air Cargo Control Units (ACCUs) in identifying and suppressing high-risk consignments, promoting regional practical cooperation among the Units, as well as utilizing of modern Customs control techniques.

Uzbekistan

On 27-31 March 2023, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) conducted the mentoring programme at the Aviayuklar Customs post of the Tashkent International Airport in Uzbekistan for nine representatives from the Customs Committee and the National Information-Analytical Center on Drug Control of the Republic of Uzbekistan, including National Focal Points (NFPs) from the central-level services, and members of the Aviayuklar Air Cargo Control Unit (ACCU) within the framework of the UNODC-WCO Global Container Control Programme (CCP).

The mentoring session, led by Mr. Mohammad Al Gharaibeh, the WCO international trainer, focused on the facilitation of operations on detecting the high-risk air shipments including planning, division of responsibilities, and implementation of practical exercises, high-risk cargo targeting, reporting, and applying the lessons learned.

Risk analysis and inspection of suspicious cargo and parcels, as well as simulation of enforcement activities on the apron and warehouse were conducted, based on which the recommendations on enhancing the ACCU’s capacity to detect high-risk air shipments were developed by the WCO trainer.

The practical exercises were aimed at facilitating the ACCU’s comply with the internationally accepted standard operating procedures in line with the tasks and roles allocated to the Unit, when conducting profiling, targeting, and examining of high-risk consignments, as well as applying specific tools and record-keeping. The session provided the ACCU members a good opportunity to learn about the new methods of targeting and profiling and agree upon the techniques for applying them in the Unit’s daily operation. 

Kazakhstan

On 03-07 April 2023 for Zhetysu ACCU in Almaty International Airport in Kazakhstan, the mentoring, led by Mr. Mohammad Al Gharaibeh was focused on facilitation of operations on the detection of high-risk air shipments including planning, distribution of responsibilities, and implementation of practical exercises, targeted mission, and identifying high-risk routes.

Mr. Sardor Atashikov, CCP Regional Programme Coordinator for Central Asia, UNODC office in Kazakhstan,, and Mr. Asset Zhakupov, representative of EXBS – the CCP donor, commended the work done so far by the Unit, expressed their gratitude to the Government of Kazakhstan for a fruitful cooperation under the CCP, and encouraged the Unit to advance their efforts on countering drug trafficking and suppressing the illegal air cargo movements, which highly contributes to legal trade facilitation.

ACCU members were provided with a comprehensive information on various concealment methods, including in clothing, tea products, machinery, and mail parcels. Special emphasis was put on ways of smuggling by re-routing the goods, test shipments of small portions of illegal commodities before the actual shipment takes place. The ACCU members learned about the various modus operandi of illegal commodity shipments. Special session was dedicated to the work of International Free Economic Zones, and ways to prevent and detect the rip on rip off cases and re-routing from those areas.

Under the mentor’s guidance the participants performed scanning and checking the selected goods in airport’s cargo warehouses. Fast parcels of DHL, FedEx and UPS were also examined. Additionally, ACCU members visited the Kazpost warehouse and exercised scanning and search methods on selected parcels.

Participants of the sessions expressed their gratitude to UNODC CCP for offering this unique mentoring practice, which gives a useful opportunity to work jointly with an experienced mentor and improve their hands on risk profiling and targeting skills.   

The CCP Regional Segment for Central Asia 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.

More about Global CCP at: https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/ccp/index.html

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For more information, please contact Vasilina Brazhko (Ms.)

UNODC Communication and PR Specialist in Central Asia

At +996775987817 WhatsApp or  by

e-mail: vasilina.brazhko[at]un.org