UNODC conducted a one-week training course on modern control techniques for vehicles, cargo and goods inspection for Uzbek mid-level law enforcement officers

On 14-18 June, UNODC conducted a training course on modern control techniques for vehicles, cargo and goods inspection for 25 mid-level law enforcement officers workingat the UNODC-supported Border Liaison Offices(BLOs)at the road and rail border crossing points in Uzbekistan. The training was held in the premises of the Ayritom border crossing point (BCP) on the border between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.

The BCP was renovated and equipped with the latest technology as part of the “Digital Uzbekistan 2030” programme. In early June, Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoev, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, visited the Ayritom BCP to see the modernized complex - the result of the fruitful cooperation with international organizations.

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.

“The renovated border crossing post’s capacity allows to inspect up to 200 vehicles per hour and serve up to 2,000 passengers per day. This training course is highly relevant and important. I am confident that the officers will strengthen their competencies during the training,” highlighted Mr. Khurshid Kholbaev, Deputy Head of Surkhondaryo Regional Department of the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, at the opening of the training course.

“It is extremely important that the training course is conducted at the Ayritom BCP which has a long history of cooperation with the UNODC Cross-Border Cooperation Component. BLO officers at the Ayritom BCP have extensive experience and been very successful in interception and seizures of narcotic drugs,” said Mr. Yusuf Kurbonov, UNODC International Programme Coordinator, in his opening remarks.

The training participants learned about cross-border vehicle inspectionprocedures 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.

The training was delivered by Mr. Lauris Krivans, the customs expert from Latvia who has extensive experience in conducting search operations and trainers from the law enforcement agencies of Uzbekistan.

“During the training, we enhanced our knowledge on many issues, in particular the basic principles of effective inspection that will help us in our day-to-day job. The training, on the other hand, helped identify gaps in our work. During the practical sessions, the trainer shared his experience in the inspection of vehicles in an interesting and comprehensible manner. That motivated us to learn more about the methods and techniques of effective control and inspection and contributed to the successful development of our skills,” said Bunyod Umurzakov, a border officer at the Oybek BCP on the border between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

“We were impressed by the infrastructure of the Ayritom BCP. Now with the increase in goods turnover and transportation, it is crucial to introduce and use new technologies for effective inspection. We gained new knowledge in cover load and the use of equipment for non-intrusive inspection. I thank UNODC for conducting this highly relevant and useful training,” said Rustam Hasanov, an operative officer of the Alat customs post, Department of the State Customs Committee in the Bukhara region.

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 Troops, Customs and Drug Control Agencies of each country.

The establishment of BLOs in Central Asia builds a strong foundation for further effective interagency and cross-border cooperation. To date, 19 BLOs have been established on the Tajik-Afghan, Uzbek-Afghan, Tajik-Uzbek, Kyrgyz-Tajik, Kyrgyz-Uzbek, Kyrgyz-Kazakh and Kazakh-Uzbek borders. Each country assigned staff for the establishment of BLOs and allocated premises at the BCPs, while technical assistance was provided by UNODC ROCA through organizing training courses and providing equipment to support the operation of the offices.

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