06-10 November 2017 - A 5 -days training training on cocaine production was held in Tolima, Colombia.
UNODC CRIMJUST, UNODC Colombia and the government and police of Colombia recently teamed up to combat the growing and global challenges posed by cocaine cultivation, production and trafficking. A joint training programme to strengthen the technical knowledge related to cocaine cultivation, production and laboratory criminal techniques was conducted in Colombia from 06 to 11 November 2017. Twelve officials from Latin America, the Caribbean and West Africa countries, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Cabo Verde, Colombia and Peru participated at the training.
As a pilot initiative developed by CRIMJUST and UNODC Colombia, the workshop supports the implementation of the relevant recommendations outlined in the Outcome Document of the 2016 United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem (UNGASS), which called for Member States to increase cooperation and adopt narcotic strategies to address the challenges posed by drug trafficking.
Luis Ignacio Garcia , a participant of the training programme who represented the Ministry of Security of Argentina- Under secretary in the fight against drug trafficking- summarized his experience: "Seeing the production site and learning about the background of cocaine cultivation and production gives me a new perspective on the global issue of cocaine trafficking. Now I am able to better relate and understand the whole process. This will definitely be a great help to be applied in future cases"
The 5 days training programme focused on two main topics, namely the cultivation, extraction and crystallization process, as well as, the practice chain of custody and handling of chemical substances.
The programme included site visits to a laboratory for identification of clandestine cocaine production laboratory setups. The workshop allowed participants to gain a better understanding of the recent trends in the cocaine production, and to identify best practices in its detection and investigation, which enables improved skills to counter drug trafficking.
In this regard, strengthening knowledge in relation to drug production and trafficking constitutes an essential factual evidence for experts and law enforcement practitioners. It provides the unique opportunity for officials of administrative control bodies and operational institutions from several countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa to learn general technical aspects, as well as specialized aspects related to drugs and chemical substances used in its production along with field and laboratory criminal techniques. As a result, beneficiaries are able to design efficient strategies in order to respond to the multiple manifestations of drug trafficking.
The outcomes of this event have strengthened both, UNODC's and European Union ongoing technical assistance activities along the cocaine route in Latin America, the Caribbean and West Africa.
Under the framework of the CRIMJUST project funded by European Union Cocaine Route Programme, UNODC and its partners (INTERPOL and TI) aim to assist Member States to enhance their capacity and integrity of criminal justice institutions to detect, investigate, prosecute and adjudicate illicit cocaine trafficking cases, and to foster cooperation at the interregional level for effective action to tackle drug trafficking and related organized crime.
For more information:
- European Union "Cocaine Route Programme"
- Fiscalía General de la Nación
- Ministerio de Justicia y del Derecho
- Escuela Nacional de Operaciones Policiales - Policía Nacional
