UNODC-WCO Global Container Control Programme enhances the knowledge of new members of Port Control Units in Uzbekistan

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for Central Asia organized a National theoretical in-person training on 21‑25 February 2022 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan under UNODC–World Customs Organization (WCO) Global Container Control Programme (CCP) as part of its first training package for members of the Ayritom Port Control Unit (PCU), to be established at Ayritom Customs Post deployed in Surkhandarya region of Uzbekistan, as well as newly assigned members of existing PCUs deployed in Tekhkontora Chukursay, Yallama, and Alat Customs posts.

The training aimed at strengthening the knowledge and skills in international container control instruments and skills in profiling cargo flows using modern Customs control techniques and detection of seals tampering was led by WCO international experts Mr. Peter Timmermans and Mr. Svetlan Savov, and has brought together 25 representatives from National Information-Analytical Center on Drug Control under the Cabinet of Ministers and respective units of the State Customs Committee.

Welcoming the participants, Ms. Ashita Mittal, UNODC Regional Representative for Central Asia expressed appreciation to CCP donors INL and EXBS for their continued generous support to the Programme. Sensitized participants that the UNODC supports national counterparts in their efforts to enhance their capacities in a wide spectrum of thematic areas, especially on preventing and countering drug trafficking and abuse, crime, corruption, and terrorism, promoting the rule of law, and strengthening the regional cooperation on these.

In this term, the Global Container Control Programme provides a promising platform for building and enhancing the expertise and technical capacities of Port Control Units, deployed at selected strategic dry ports and airports; strengthening their practical cooperation and information exchange to prevent and suppress illicit cargo flow by facilitating thus the legitimate trade along the critical trade and transit corridors.

Participants expressed their appreciation to UNODC for the longstanding support and wide opportunities provided to them under the CCP umbrella making them able to strengthen their theoretical knowledge and practical skills in profiling and inspecting high-risk consignments, utilizing modern customs control techniques on the detection of concealment places and seals manipulation, "rip-on rip-off" method, examination of containers and drugs/precursors, and the use of ContainerCOMM secure communication platform.

The CCP Regional Segment for Central Asia is funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), and the Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) Programme.

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For more information, contact Vasilina Brazhko 

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UNODC ROCA

+996775987817 WhatsApp 

vasilina.razhko [at] un.org