Officers stationed at the UNODC-supported railway border liaison office in Uzbekistan seize contraband cigarettes

UNODC together with national counterparts continues to develop and implement innovative initiatives to address transborder crime.

One such initiative – the establishment of border liaison offices (BLOs) – is considered a pivotal element for enhanced cross-border communication and intelligence-sharing aimed at detecting and intercepting smuggling, including narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals while facilitating legitimate international trade.

In February 2024, law enforcement officers stationed at the UNODC-supported Kudukli railway border liaison office at the Sariosiyo railway border crossing point located in the Surkhondaryo region of Uzbekistan intercepted a large consignment of contraband cigarettes.

During the inspection of the freight train transiting from Uzbekistan to the neighboring country, the BLO officers found an unreported shipment of 402,000 packs of the Esse Change cigarettes worth 10 billion 50 million Uzbek soums (around US$ 81,000).

BLO at the Sariosiyo railway border crossing point (Kudukli railway station) was established in 2021. It is one of 24 BLOs in the Central Asian region established at the key border crossing points under the Regional Project on Enhancing Cross-Border Cooperation by Strengthening the Capacity of Border Liaison Offices in Central Asia of Sub-programme 1 Preventing and Countering Transnational Organized Crime of the UNODC Programme for Central Asia 2022 - 2025.

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 project strengthens the capacities of officers working at the BLOs representing all law enforcement agencies in countering transnational organized crime, including through various training programmes and the provision of cutting-edge equipment.

 

 

 

*The photos are taken from customs.uz

 

 

For further information, please contact:

 

Nurangez Abdulhamidova

Communications and External Relations Specialist

UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia

Email: nurangez.abdulhamidova[at]un.org