The Container Control Programme (CCP) was established in 2004 as a joint initiative of UNODC and the World Customs Organization (WCO). Initially, the CCP focused on protecting the containerized supply chain in seaports from illicit drug trafficking via the development of Port Control Units (PCUs) with the support from donors such as the US Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and the Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) program. Based on the successes of these operational units, the programme’s mandate soon extended, and Air Cargo Control Units (ACCUs) were developed at key airports. Through the use of standardized training and increased national and regional communication and coordination, the CCP then supported Member States seeking to improve risk management, supply chain security and trade facilitation in seaports, airports, land border crossings and rail terminals to prevent the cross-border movement of all types of illicit goods.
AIRCOP was launched as a multi-agency project implemented by UNODC in partnership with INTERPOL and WCO in 2010. This programme was initially targeted at deterring cocaine trafficking associated with cargo, mail and passengers, from source countries in Latin America via the Caribbean and Africa towards Europe under the European Union “Cocaine Route Programme”. The success of the programme in building the capacity of international airports to deter this issue led to the expansion and greater scope of the project, and, as of 2019, AIRCOP became part of the European Union Global Illicit Flows Programme. AIRCOP’s mandate broadened from a cocaine trafficking focus to more generally disrupting illicit flows of drugs and other commodities, to strengthening the capacities of international airports to target and intercept high-risk passengers, cargo and mail and deter trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling. It also aimed to facilitate communication and coordination between origin, transit and destination countries to disrupt these cross-border illicit flows and criminal networks.
In 2022, both programmes moved into the newly established BMB. The mission of the BMB is to deliver collaborative and comprehensive border management technical assistance to Member States to prevent illicit trafficking, organized crime and terrorism.
From 2023 to 2025, the CCP and AIRCOP were jointly operating under the Passenger and Cargo Border Team (PCBT). In 2025, the Passenger and Cargo Control Programme (PCCP) was established, concluding the merger of the CCP and AIRCOP. This restructuring was a natural progression of the increasingly close work and collaboration undertaken by both programmes in delivering joint activities under the BMB. Under PCCP, the programmes will further strengthen efforts to contribute to Member States’ border security and counter-trafficking efforts by implementing activities to enhance border security, prevent trafficking of illicit goods and other forms of organized crime, and facilitate legitimate trade and travel.
Click here to access the former website of the CCP.
Click here to access the former website of AIRCOP.
