Strengthening Air Cargo Control Unit/Port Control Units’ capacity in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan through remote mentoring programmes

In March-April, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for Central Asia organized remote mentorship programmes for the Air Cargo Control Unit (ACCU) and the Port Control Units (PCUs) in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. These workshops were delivered in line with the 2021 Workplan of Distance Learning Activities for Central Asia under the UNODC-WCO (World Customs Organization) Global Container Control Programme.

On 29-31 March 2021, UNODC jointly with the State Revenues Committee of the Ministry of Finance and the Civil Aviation Committee of the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructural Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, conducted a remote mentorship for customs officers and civil aviation staff, ACCU members at the Zhetysu customs post of Almaty International Airport. The participants had an opportunity to review ACCU operating procedures, short and long-term objectives, and shared experience in cooperation with the private sector and relevant law enforcement agencies, described examination procedures at international postal and airfreight facilities. WCO mentors introduced advanced approaches for effective investigation of narcotics and other illicit goods smuggling, modern techniques of risk profiling, as well as interactive tools to detect high-risk air consignments. The sessions resulted in the drafting of recommendations to increase ACCU’s capacity and establish the framework necessary for effective cooperation in aviation security.

On 20 April 2021, UNODC jointly with the Customs Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan and the Drug Control Agency under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, organized a remote mentorship for officers from these agencies, members of PCUs based at the Regional Customs Department of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region in Khorugh and the Regional Customs Department of Sughd Region in Khujand. Experienced UNODC and WCO experts shared their knowledge on profiling and selecting high-risk consignments, risk indicators, analysis of cargo documents and inspection of the containers/consignments, modus operandi, concealments, secure communication system “ContainerComm” and other issues.

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

 

For further information, please contact:

Nurangez Abdulhamidova

Communication and External Relations Officer

UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia (Dushanbe)

Email: nurangez.abdulhamidova[at]un.org