UNODC and Russian Federation enhance capacity of Law Enforcement of Kyrgyzstan in countering illegal drug trafficking via Internet

Cybercrime, terrorism, illegal drug trafficking, trafficking in persons, corruption and other crimes threaten the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. According to the UN Secretary General António Guterres, criminal groups generate an income of $ 1.5 trillion a year through criminal acts on the Internet . It is almost impossible to identify, record and prove crimes committed through the means of the global web, and this aggravates the situation of vulnerable groups of the population and undermines the national security of all countries of the world.

 

To enhance capacity of staff of the competent authorities of the Kyrgyz Republic involved in the system of combating drug trafficking and legalization of drug proceeds, UNODC together with the Counter Narcotic Service of the Ministry of Interior of the Kyrgyz Republic and with the financial support of the Russian Federation conducted a five-day training on the “Specifics of identifying, documenting, qualifying and proving crimes in the field of illegal drug trafficking, committed using information and financial technologies".

Employees of the Ministry of Interior, the State Financial Intelligence Service, the General Prosecutor's Office, the State Committee for National Security and teachers of the Academy of the Ministry of Interior participated in the training. It was conducted by masters, practitioners of the Main Directorate for the Control of Drug Trafficking of the Ministry of Interior of the Russian Federation and the Federal Financial Monitoring Service.

Mr. Ulanbek Sultanov, Head of the Counter Narcotics Service of the Ministry of Interior of the Kyrgyz Republic expressed gratitude to the UNODC and Russian colleagues for organizing and conducting the training and emphasized its relevance and timeliness for Kyrgyzstan. Mr. Sultanov also expressed confidence that the knowledge gained during the training will be applied in the daily activities of the law enforcement, national security, prosecutors and financial intelligence officers, and will also strengthen interdepartmental and international cooperation in this direction.

“We all know that at present, drug trafficking through the Internet is gaining momentum with well-thought-out schemes of criminal activity. Modern technologies make it possible to exclude the meeting of persons involved in transactions, thereby providing a contactless method of drug distribution. Virtual resources of the global network, electronic payment systems, mobile communications, and many other gadgets significantly reduce the risk for drug traffickers to be detained at the time of sale", said Mr. Sultanov.

The training participants got acquainted with the main threats and practices of countering high-tech drug-related crimes. Another direction was the study of the issues of countering the dissemination of prohibited information about narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances on the Internet, as well as the features of identifying, documenting, qualifying and proving crimes in the field of illegal drug trafficking, committed using information and financial technologies.

“Russian-Kyrgyz cooperation in law enforcement is developing progressively for the benefit of the two nations. I am deeply convinced that the knowledge and skills gained at this training will be put into practice and will be used at the forefront of the fight against the transnational drug threat”, said Mr. Vladimir Gusev, Minister- Counselor of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Kyrgyz Republic.

“Of course, a five-day workshop is not enough to become a professional,” said Mr. Andrey Seleznev, Head of the UNODC Programme Office in the Kyrgyz Republic. “But success in this direction depends not only on the professionalism and dedication of CNS officers or the availability of technical capabilities, but also on interaction with highly qualified employees of financial intelligence, prosecutors and national security agencies. For these purposes, UNODC will continue the practice of conducting such trainings".

Much attention was paid to the theoretical and practical aspects of the use of cryptographic currencies and virtual assets, as well as service providers in the field of virtual assets. Participants reviewed examples of the use of cryptocurrencies and electronic payment systems in illegal drug trafficking. Representatives of different departments analyzed how the practical interaction of structures, countries, organizations during international operations and operational-search measures in the anti-drug sphere.

“Our training-course covered various aspects – relevant and modern. One of them was the issue of vulnerability and threat in the fight against illegal drug trafficking. We, of course, highlighted these threats”, stressed Mr. Andrey Morozov, Deputy Head of the Department for Combating Crimes in the Sphere of Illicit Drug Trafficking of Synthetic Drugs and Precursors of the Main Directorate for the Control of Drug Trafficking of the Ministry of Interior of the Russian Federation.

Article in Russian language 

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