On 18-27 September 2018, as a part of the UNODC-World Customs Organization (WCO) Global Container Control Programme (CCP), UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia conducted a two-week practical training for officers of the State Customs Committee and the Border Force of the State Security Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan at the "Alat" customs post (Uzbek-Turkmen border) in Bukhara region, Uzbekistan.
The training conducted by the experienced WCO trainers is a part of a series of capacity building measures that facilitate the establishment of dedicated Port Control Units (PCU) at "Alat" and "Yallama" customs posts (Uzbek-Kazakh border) of Uzbekistan. The Units will be staffed and equipped to perform systematic profiling and inspection of high-risk consignments, whilst facilitating the legitimate trade. The trained officers will represent the core staff of the PCUs.
During opening ceremony Mr. Doniyor Salimov, Chief of the Customs Office for Bukhara region, appreciated CCP efforts in Uzbekistan towards capacity building, border security, as well as trade facilitation, and expressed further support in the implementation of the Programme.
Mr. Batyr Geldiyev, CCP Regional Programme Coordinator stressed that the Central Asian region is a priority region for UNODC, since it's on the frontline of the illicit flows of Afghan opiates headed towards the key markets in Russian Federation and Europe, and plays a key role in the fight against drugs.
The training covered various practical exercises on different types of smuggling via container, railroad/truck transport, and provided an excellent opportunity for trainees to apply their knowledge related to risk profiling techniques, analysis of customs documentation and examination in practice. In particular, the training, greatly supported by the Government of Uzbekistan, provided a unique opportunity for the trainees to access national database together with international experts, profile consignment documentation, select and inspect containers/trucks in real time at the "Alat" customs post.
The CCP Regional Segment for Central Asia is funded by the Government of Japan and the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), and the Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) Programme.
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