Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Service with Law Enforcement Agencies of the Kyrgyz Republic

Over the past ten years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have gained immense popularity, especially in the most developed countries of the world and various UN structures. The scope of UAVs is quite wide in commerce - for delivering goods, civilian life - for filming large groups of people, law enforcement - for protecting public order, mapping areas of drug crops and even for military use in neutralizing terrorist groups. To date, such aircrafts are not in the service of law enforcement agencies in Kyrgyzstan.

"The transit of illicit drugs of Afghan origin passes through the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic through the so-called "Northern Route", which accounts for a significant part of the illicit traffic", says Mr. Timur Isakov, Executive Secretary of the State Coordinating Committee for the Control of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and precursors (GKKN) in the Kyrgyz Republic. "Currently, work is underway in Kyrgyzstan to build an alternative North-South road, which will become part of the international transit corridor connecting Tajikistan - Kyrgyzstan (also the ring around Lake Issyk-Kul and the Tyup-Kegen road) - Kazakhstan - Russia, which has additional risks, challenges and threats".

The importance of using the unmanned aerial vehicles in the field of combating drug crime was expressed by the Counter Narcotics Service (CNS) of the Ministry of Interior of the Kyrgyz Republic (MoI KR). The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Program Office in the Kyrgyz Republic provides support in this area as part of its project "Strengthening the Capacity of the Office of Mobile Operational Teams (MOTs) of the Security Council of the Ministry of Interior of the Kyrgyz Republic" with the financial support from the Russian Federation.

In order to develop legal regulatory documents on the use of UAVs in Kyrgyzstan and design technical terms of UAVs, the second meeting of the technical sector of the State Coordination Committee on drug control, psychological substances and their precursor was hold in Kyrgyzstan.

"The introduction of unmanned aerial vehicles for the Counter Narcotics Service is the first and innovative approach in Central Asia", stated Mr. Andrey Seleznev, Head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Programme Office in the Kyrgyz Republic. "The current work is implemented as part of the sub-programme 1 "Countering transnational organized crime, illicit drug trafficking and preventing terrorism" of the UNODC Regional Programme for Central Asia  2015-2019 and will contribute to the development of national legislation, providing technical support, building the capacity of CNS employees and the strengthening of interagency cooperation".

Mr. Alexey Rogov, Deputy Director of the Department of New Challenges and Threats of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted: "Today, we are at a very important stage in our joint activities, because it is repeatedly emphasized at various international forums that organized crime are better equipped in comparison with agencies, countries that counter them. The ability to equip mobile operational teams will strengthen their technical potential in the fight against organized transnational crime, drug trafficking and terrorism, and will have an important contribution to ensuring the security and stability of our societies."

Some 20 representatives of Kyrgyz ministries and institutions took part in the second technical sector meeting: Ministry of Interior, General Staff of the Armed Forces, State Committee on National Security, Border Guard Service, State Committee of Information Technologies, Civil Aviation Agency and others.

UAV manufacturers from the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation shared their experience in development and use of UAV in their countries, disclosed the local legislation, which manages them and provided technical characteristics of UAVs.

On August 8, a demonstration of the deployment of UAVs took place at the Edelweiss military training ground in the city of Balykchy, Issyk-Kul Oblast, during the tactical and special anti-drug exercises "GROM-2019" of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

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