In July 2017, two operations were successfully conducted by the Port Control Units in Tajikistan and Kazakhstan established under the UNODC-WCO Global Container Control Programme (CCP).
At "Morport" Customs checkpoint in Aktau seaport, Kazakhstan, the members of CCP Port Control Unit detected smuggling of metallic mercury at the truck vehicle that entered the customs control area.
According to the shipping documents, the truck was following the route from Tajikistan through the territory of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan to Turkey with cargo of "metallic mercury".
Thorough profiling and analysis of shipping documents revealed that the carrier did not have necessary permits issued by the authorized body in accordance with the decisions of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission. The representative of the carrier also could not provide requested documents. Thus, the carrier failed to check the requirements and terms of the customs procedure and has thereby violated the requirements of the Decision of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission and the Customs Code of Kazakhstan.
As a result of the operation, the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan reported a seizure of 20,063 kg of metallic mercury packed in 525 canisters.
At the "Nijniy Pyandj" Customs checkpoint in Khatlon oblast of Tajikistan, in turn, the CCP Port Control Unit officers seized 7,500 vials of diazepam while conducting customs inspection of the truck.
The truck vehicle transporting sugar driven by the citizen of Tajikistan arrived from the Islamic State of Afghanistan to the Republic of Tajikistan. The psychotropic substance was hidden from the customs control inspection in the cab of the driver under the pillow. The Customs Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan reported 75 grams of the psychotropic substance as per results of the forensic examination.
CCP is uniquely placed to assist Governments to create sustainable enforcement structures in selected sea and dry ports in order to minimize the risk of shipping containers being exploited for illicit drug trafficking and transnational organized crime.
The CCP Regional Segment for Central Asia and Azerbaijan is funded by the Government of Japan, the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and the Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) Program.
