UNODC Hands Over Equipment and furniture to Support Regional departments of the Drug Control Agency under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan

Equipment worth USD 143.380,00 was handed over to the Drug Control Agency under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan on 12 September 2023. The equipment and furniture were procured as part of technical assistance rendered within the “Capacity building of the Drug Control Agency Tajikistan (DCA)” component of Sub programme 1 of the UNODC Programme for Central Asia 2022-2025. The component focuses on capacity development of DCA in combating illicit drug trafficking, which is in line with the National Drug Control Strategy of Tajikistan. This equipment will increase the capacity of DCA activities at the national level.

     

Major General, Mr. Vohidzoda Habibullo, Director of the Drug Control Agency under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, and Mr. Shah Salman Khan, the OiC UNODC Programme Office in Tajikistan, signed the official equipment handover documents. Mr. Brian Gillespie the INL Director and Ms. Meekyoung Yi, INL Foreign Officer, were also present at the handover ceremony. Forensic equipment and IT equipment were provided with a purpose of improving the capacity of the forensic laboratories to test new synthetic drugs and psychotropic substances. The handover will be followed by the organization of training courses on the use of this equipment at the DCA headquarters in Dushanbe and in the field.

Mr. Shah Salman Khan expressed gratitude to the DCA for the good level of cooperation with UNODC including its effective coordination role in counter narcotics related areas at the national level and supporting the implementation of relevant UNODC projects/programme initiative. He noted the critical role of Tajikistan and DCA, in fighting the illicit drugs, especially in view of deterioration of the security situation in Afghanistan, and stressed that UNODC will further strengthen the DCA’s capacity through the Sub-programme 1 of the Programme for Central Asia.

Major General, Mr. Vohidzoda Habibullo, expressed appreciation on UNODC continuous cooperation with the DCA and its achievements on enhancing DCA capacity. Parties discussed security situation in Afghanistan and reiterated the importance of enhancing the capacity of the Tajik law enforcement officers.

The IT equipment will be distributed among all provincial and regional departments/units of the DCA.

The first province to receive equipment, furniture and training courses was the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO). UNODC Programme Office in Tajikistan expresses its gratitude to DCA for the warm welcome and exceptional readiness to cooperate for the safer future.                   

The implementation of the “Capacity building of the Drug Control Agency Tajikistan (DCA)” component of Sub programme 1 of the UNODC Programme for Central Asia 2022-2025 is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).