The Passenger and Cargo Border Team enhances the practical skills of Port Control Unit Batken in Kyrgyzstan through the UNODC-WCO Global Container Control Programme

The capacity building activities of the UNODC-WCO Global Container Control Programme (CCP) of the Port Control Units (PCU) includes regular mentoring sessions for the Customs officers to check their practical skills and the progress they make in profiling and targeting of high-risk shipments and suppressing illegal movement of commodities.

On 6-8 February 2024, the mentoring exercise was conducted by Ms. Akosita Valamalua, WCO expert for 11 officers from the Customs Service under the Ministry of Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic, including the members of PCUs Batken, Bishkek, and Osh at the Batken PCU in Kyrgyzstan that was established on 02March 2023. Despite the fact that this PCU is relatively new, it has managed to perform numerous seizures of illicit goods, including cigarettes, food stuff, and various consumer goods since its formal opening. The members of the three units improved their knowledge and expertise on cargo profiling of high-risk consignments, learned cases of physical inspection of containers/trucks, methods of detection of the concealment places and different types of seal manipulation.

The practical skills of PCU members were also enhanced through field-based selective checks of trucks in Kyzyl Kiya railway inspections area in Batken region, which was valued by PCU members as a combined theoretical and practical exercise.

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) Program, and the Governments of Japan and France.