UNODC Trains Tactical Skills of Counter Narcotic Service Officers for Operations at Mountainous Areas

UNODC in partnership with the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic conducted a ten-day training-course for operators of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles of the Counter Narcotic Service of the Ministry of Interior of the Kyrgyz Republic on search and specifics of organization of work in mountainous areas.

 

“Officers of the CNS use different tools and tactics in searching illegal drug cultivation fields in rugged and mountainous areas. To strengthen the capacity of the Mobile Operational Teams (MOTs) of the CNS, with financial support by the Russian Federation we are planning to provide two sets of UAVs to be used for counter narcotics activities”, informed Mr. Andrey Seleznev, Head of the UNODC Programme office in the Kyrgyz Republic.

During the course, officers acquired theoretical and practical knowledge and skills on use of alpinist equipment, safe movement in mountain terrain and crossing mountain rivers, provision of the first aid, radio communication during search and rescue operations as well as international emergency rules and signals. They learned how to organize and conduct search of people in mountainous environment in a safe mode along with the use of various equipment and methods.

 

According to Ulanbek Sultanov, Head of the Counter Narcotic Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic: “The training of Mobile Operational Teams, UAV operators in acquiring skills on how to work in different terrain is very timely. The MOT works in close cooperation with other agencies such as Customs, Border and other agencies to fight illicit drug trafficking/smuggling in the country. The MOT in collaboration with the Ministry of Emergency and the State Agency for Environmental Protection and Forestry uses modern technologies such as UAVs, to help our staff to track and collect video/photo information over the potential criminal activities more safely and effectively”.

The training participants tested their strength and endurance as practical exercises required good physical fitness and excellent knowledge and skills in extreme situations.

Colonel of police Mr. Rustam Jynusov, Senior Detective of the Counter Narcotics Service under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic shared his thoughts about the training.

 

“I personally participated at UNODC-organized training for the first time. We went through very tense theoretical and practical exercises. Even though we work a lot in the mountain terrain, this time, we needed to keep in mind that our mission is to search for criminal groups, trace them and detect with the use of modern technology - Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. We paid detailed attention on how to pass mountain paths in different weather conditions and practiced it number of days crossing rivers and moving under heavy rain”.

The training-course was a part of the Sub-Programme 1 – Preventing and Countering Transnational Organized Crime of the UNODC Regional Programme for Central Asia 2022-2025.

 

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For more information, contact Vasilina Brazhko (Ms.)

Communication and PR Specialist at

UNODC Criminal Justice and PVE Programmes in Central Asia

UNODC ROCA based in Kyrgyzstan

+996775987817 WhatsApp

vasilina.brazhko [at] un.org