UNODC conducted a one-week regional training course for mid-level officers from Central Asian border and customs agencies

On 19-23 April, UNODC conducted a regional training course on modern control techniques for vehicles, cargo and goods inspection for mid-level officers from Central Asian border and customs agencies serving at the road and rail border crossing points across the region in a blended format. Participants from Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan attended the training via the Zoom platform. Kazakh and Kyrgyz participants attended the training at the inspection range of the Border Guards Service Academy of the National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The training aimed to enhance the knowledge and skills of the officers to effectively respond to challenges during an inspection at checkpoints and strengthen their capacity to combat cross-border crime.

“We will continue to strengthen cooperation between the border management and security agencies, support the established Border Liaison Offices at border crossing points in Central Asia, and launch computer-based training classes at remote border crossing points to provide training opportunities for border and customs officers. This year we plan to conduct a number of national and regional trainings and provide equipment for checkpoints in Central Asia,” said Mr. Yusuf Kurbonov, UNODC International Programme Coordinator, in his welcome remarks.

“Border management and security are one of the most important components in tackling transnational organized crime. It is important that border and customs services that are at the forefront of this battle against organized criminal networks are effective and efficient. Provision of training for such services and strengthening their capacities are essential,” said Mr. Naweed Riaz, Head of UNODC Programme Office in Kazakhstan, in his opening speech.

The training provided both theoretical and practical training sessions.

The training participants learned about cross-border vehicle inspection procedures and control techniques, including inspection of cargo and trains, risk analysis and assessment, profiling, operational psychological assessment, methodology of questioning and speech analysis, among others.

During the practical sessions, they strengthened their skills in the use of endoscopes and introscopes, and freight train and tank car inspection to detect various dangerous items and substances.

The training was delivered by Mr. Lauris Krivans, the customs expert from Latvia who has extensive experience in conducting search operations and the trainers from the Border Guards Service Academy of the National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

“I would like to note that the participants were very active throughout the entire training. We established a good dialogue with them,” said Mr. Lauris Krivans.

“Despite the pandemic, UNODC managed to bring together participants from five Central Asian countries and successfully train them. I want to note the high professionalism of the organizers,” said Mr. Vitaly Khristiy, trainer.

“This training is very important. If all Central Asian states are united by one goal, and we all work together, then having a strengthened common security system, we can effectively address all security challenges and threats,” said Mr. Yerzhan Ospanov, trainer.

The feedback received from the participants at the end of the training was very positive.

“The knowledge and skills we gained will be very useful for our daily work. It was a great pleasure to work with the trainers who have vast practical experience in conducting search operations. I thank the trainers for their professionalism and UNODC for providing the opportunity to attend the training during this challenging time,” said a customs officer from the State Customs Service under the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic.

“Over the past five days, I have learned a lot. I am confident that all participants benefited from this regional training,” said a senior specialist from Altynkol-zhol customs checkpoint of the Department of State Revenues in the Almaty Region of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

“We - officers, have a special mission - to train personnel. I will share the knowledge and skills I have gained during these five days of training with my colleagues and train other officers,” said a border officer from the Border Service of the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The training was conducted within the framework of Cross-Border Cooperation Component of Sub-programme 1 “Countering transnational organized crime, illicit drug trafficking and preventing terrorism” of the UNODC Programme for Central Asia designed to counter the trafficking of Afghan opiates through the northern route by establishing Border Liaison Offices (BLOs) at the key border crossing points in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan. It is the first project to establish BLOs in Central Asia, and its stakeholders are the Ministries of Internal Affairs, Border Guards, Customs and Drug Control Agencies of each country. The component is funded by the Government of Japan.

 

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For further information, please contact:

Nurangez Abdulhamidova

Communication and External Relations Officer

UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia (Dushanbe)

Email: nurangez.abdulhamidova[at]un.org