News, photos and testimonies

Empowering Female Law Enforcement Officers: A Landmark Workshop Fosters Collaboration and Mentorship Across Africa and the Middle East

8 - 10 July 2024. This groundbreaking initiative by UNODC, through the Passenger and Cargo Border Team aimed to enhance leadership and mentorship skills among 25 senior women law enforcement officers from 11 countries, including Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Morocco, Mali, Namibia, Nigeria and Uganda.

UNODC through PCBT-AIRCOP strengthens the regional fight against gold trafficking in West and Central Africa

12 January 2024. In West and Central Africa, a vast precious metals and gold trafficking network has emerged over the years in conflict and high-risk areas, generating billions of dollars for armed groups and criminal networks operating in the region. Unlike other metals and minerals from conflict zones...

	Open Roads IV - Regional Workshop on Border Management and Trafficking of Falsified Medical Products 5 December 2023. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around two billion people globally lack access to medical products including medicine, vaccines and medical devices, among others, which has led to growing health needs often treated by falsified medical products (FMPs). Read more

	Unifying Forces: Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America Collaborate to Combat Transnational Crime Brazil - 21 November 2023. In the complex web of global trafficking, Africa plays an important role as a frequently exploited transit hub for illicit goods, including those originating from Latin America. Beyond the well-known narco-dynamics that exist between Latin America and West Africa, the threat of cross-border illicit trafficking and related organized crime now extends into East and South Africa. Read more

	Iraq: Evidence-based approaches to airport security: National Workshop on Risk Assessment and Targeting Iraq - 17 December 2019. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) also known as Da'esh, has called on its supporters and affiliates to carry out attacks wherever they are located. Returning and relocating Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTFs) have attempted, organized, planned, or participated in terrorist attacks in their countries of nationality or third countries, as acknowledged by Security Council Resolution 2396 (2017). Read more

	Safe Airports for Safer Citizens: AIRCOP supports Iraq in addressing terrorism and organized criminal networks at airports Iraq-18 September 2019. Terrorist and organized criminal operations have globally grown in complexity. As the number of air passengers are expected to double in the coming 20 years, airports and the connectivity offered by airlines are prone to exploitation by terrorist entities and organized criminal groups to spread their illicit and criminal activities trans-nationally. Read More

Detection of trafficking in persons at air borders

On the occasion of the International Day Against Trafficking in Persons of 2019, AIRCOP would like to take the opportunity to communicates on its contribution to #EndHumanTrafficking by detecting passengers travelling through air borders which could be victims of human trafficking.

AIRCOP fights drug trafficking

26 June 2019 - On the World Drug Day, the fight against drug trafficking should be recognized and promoted more than ever. So far, the 24 AIRCOP Joint Interdiction Task Forces (JAITFs) intercepted 19 tons of drugs.

"Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change"

8 March 2019 - As part of the fight against all types of discrimination, gender equality is crucial for peace, prosperity and security. It is time to reinvent the world we live in and #BalanceforBetter!

Law enforcement is still too often seen as a "man's profession". Cultural and physical stereotypes lead to biased recruitment policies and practices in the law enforcement.

AIRCOP holds its First Meeting of Focal Points and Heads of JAITFs in Latin America and the Caribbean

Panama - 15 November 2018. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, within the framework of the Airport Communication Project (AIRCOP), held the First Regional Meeting of Focal Points and Heads of AIRCOP Joint Airport Interdiction Task Forces (JAITFs) in Latin America and the Caribbean, on 15 and 16 November 2018, in Panama City, Panama.

Bogotá: DIRAN Officers at the El Dorado International Airport, part of the AIRCOP Network, seize half a ton of cocaine

Colombia - 3 November 2018. AIRCOP (Airport Communication Project) wishes to congratulate law enforcement authorities at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá for their recent seizures of cocaine on 3 November 2018.

Bolivia and UNODC inaugurate the AIRCOP's JAITF work room at Viru Viru International Airport

Bolivia - 29 October 2018. The Government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia and UNODC inaugurated the work room of the Joint Airport Interdiction Task Force (JAITF) of the Airport Communications Project at Viru Viru International Airport on 29 October 2018.

AIRCOP task forces participate to the seizure of more than 55 tons of narcotics

From 17 September to 8 October 2018, all AIRCOP Joint Airport Interdiction Task Forces, one AIRCOP associate country and multiple other countries took part in the INTERPOL-led operation Lionfish, the first global initiative simultaneously involving all of INTERPOL's regions against drug trafficking and a total of 93 countries

UNODC facilitates best practices exchange between international airports of Morocco and Brazil

Morocco - 25 September 2018. As part of its support to Member States in combating terrorism and transnational organized crime, including drug trafficking, AIRCOP, in cooperation with the Brazilian customs, organized a four day training that brought together 26 police and customs frontline officers.

The AIRCOP task force of Punta Cana International Airport detects and supports the disruption of a migrant smuggling network

Punta Cana - 11 September 2018. The Joint Airport Interdiction Task Force (JAITF) of Punta Cana International Airport, established under the UNODC-Interpol-WCO Airport Communication project (AIRCOP), has successfully intercepted 3 Dominican nationals who were traveling with fraudulent Guatemalan documents.

UNODC collaborates with Jordan to improve border security

Jordan - 2 September 2018. In cooperation with the Brazilian Federal Police International Programme for Police Cooperation in Airports (INTERCOPS), the Airport Communication Project (AIRCOP) organized a training on "Frontline identification of suspicious passengers" for the agents of the Joint Airport Interdiction Task Force (JAITF) at Queen Alia International Airport.

Guarulhos International Airport, part of the AIRCOP network, realized two seizures of cocaine

Sao Paolo - 16 August 2018. AIRCOP wishes to congratulate law enforcement authorities at Guarulhos airport for their recent seizures of cocaine. Since the interinstitutional cooperation agreement between AIRCOP and the INTERCOPS project of the Brazilian Federal Police, international cooperation for the detection and interception of illicit goods has been promoted.

Multi-agency law enforcement project in El Salvador detects passenger wanted for 12 years on terrorism charges

San Salvador - 9 August 2018. A suspicious passenger, wanted by the FBI and INTERPOL for 12 years on charges of terrorism, has been detected and investigated at the international airport of El Salvador by the Joint Airport Interdiction Task Force (JAITF) of the Airport Communication Project (AIRCOP).

AIRCOP Task Force in Niamey, Niger assists in the seizure of 2,5 tons of cannabis

Niamey - 13 June 2018. The Joint Airport Interdiction Task Force (JAITF), established in Niger as part of the AIRCOP project, was instrumental in the seizure of almost 2,5 tons of cannabis in a suburb of Niamey, Niger. This is, to date, the largest single AIRCOP seizure since the beginning of the project in 2010.

Mozambique: Seizures of cocaine and diamonds as a result of AIRCOP training

Maputo - 8 June 2018. The future Joint Airport Interdiction Task Force at Maputo International Airport, which will form part of the AIRCOP network, concluded its initial training provided by Brazilian Federal Police and UNODC experts.

AIRCOP supports the dismantling of a criminal group operating at the Punta Cana International Airport

Punta Cana - 5 May 2018. The Joint Airport Interdiction Task Force (JAITF) of the Airport Communication Project (AIRCOP) in Punta Cana (Dominican Republic), alerted the National Unit for the Fight against Narcotics at the Lisbon International Airport in Lisbon, Portugal, of the movement of a passenger suspected of trafficking cocaine.

Bolivia, UNODC sign Memorandum of Understanding to combat illicit drug trafficking

Bolivia - 23 February 2018. UNODC and the Government of Bolivia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), reiterating their commitment to combat transnational organized crime in international airports.

Signature of a Letter of Agreement between UNODC and the Government of Mozambique for the establishment of a Joint Airport Interdiction Task Force

Maputo - 16 February 2018. A Letter of Agreement (LoA) has been signed on Friday 16 February between Mozambique and UNODC for the establishment of a Joint Airport Interdiction Task Force (JAITF) at Maputo international airport.

Global experts meet in Brazil to discuss drugs, other illicit trafficking in airports

Sao Paulo - 4 April 2017. Experts from around the world met today in Sao Paulo, Brazil, for three days of discussions, aiming to enhance the capacity of international airports in the detection and interdiction of drug trafficking and other illicit activities…

UNODC and the Brazilian Federal Police sign a Cooperation Agreement

Brasilia - 2 September 2016. The Brazilian Federal Police (DPF) signed an interinstitutional cooperation agreement with UNODC to facilitate mutual cooperation between the Airport Communication Project (AIRCOP) and the International Programme for Police Cooperation in Airports (INTERCOPS).

170 kg of drugs seized during a joint operation targeting drug trafficking from Latin America to Europe via Africa

Brazil - 28 September 2015. In the framework of the EU-funded Airport Communication Project (AIRCOP), an operation targeting drug trafficking from Latin America to Europe via Africa has resulted in the seizure of nearly 170 kilograms of drugs.

Launch of the AIRCOP Project in Cameroon

Yaoundé - 12 June 2015. As part of the implementation of the Airport Communication Programme (AIRCOP) project in Cameroon, aimed at curbing illicit trafficking, UNODC launched the initial training of Joint Airport Interdiction Task Forces (JAITF) agents in Yaoundé and Douala.

Government of Panama signs agreement with UNODC for the implementation of AIRCOP

Panama - 10 April 2014. The Government of the Republic of Panama signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for the implementation of the Airport Communication Project (AIRCOP)…

United Nations

Office on Drugs and Crime

Brochure

The Global Illicit Flows Programme