19-23 November, Dushanbe, Tajikistan.- United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) conducted a five-day training course on profiling and detection of drug couriers with particular focus to international and bilateral cross points as a part of the initiative on Strengthening Control along the Tajik-Afghan Border. This specific course was designed and organised for border interaction officers from all law enforcement agencies - Border Forces, Ministry of Interior, Drug Control Agency, and Customs Service of Tajikistan serving at the border crossing points in the country, and funded by the Government of Japan.
In his opening remarks, H.E. Mr. Hajime Kitaoka, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Tajikistan recalled on a Joint Statement issued in Japan after the bilateral meeting between H. E. Emomali Rahmon, the President of Tajikistan, and H.E. Shinzo Abe, Japanese Prime Minister, with particular attention and emphasis on the importance of border management issues.
"Based on this commitment, Japan will continue cooperating with the Tajik Government and international organizations, among which, UNODC is definitely one of the most important agencies." - said Ambassador Kitaoka.
Twenty-six officers improved their skills in profiling and transport vehicle inspections. They studied methods to establish psychological contact with a criminal, terrorist, and drug trafficker using innovative communication technologies; methods of retrieving information; modern tendencies of illegal drug trafficking, principles for effective search of vehicles, psychological and physical aspects of transport search.
The course consisted of two parts: 1. Profiling a criminal, terrorist, and drug trafficker; 2. Transport Search Aspects. The theoretical part of the course in the class was supplemented by the field practical exercises held at the Border Crossing Point "DUSTI" at the Tajik-Uzbek border in the last day of the training. The training was facilitated by Mr. Lauris Krivans, international expert from Latvia, and Ms. Lola Shakimova, an expert psychologist from Association of Psychologists of Kazakhstan.
H.E. Mr. Hajime Kitaoka, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Tajikistan, Mr. Yusuf Kurbonov, the UNODC International Programme Coordinator, Ms. Amelia Hannaford, the UNODC Head of Office in Tajikistan and Mr. Zafar Sharipov, Deputy Chief of the Border Control Department of the Border Forces of the State Committee for National Security of Tajikistan, awarded the certificates at the end of the training course.
The UNODC Initiative on Strengthening Control along the Tajik-Afghan Border is being successfully implemented in line with the "National Border Management Strategy of the Republic of Tajikistan" adopted for 2010-2025 and focused on enhancement of the expert potential of border officers at the border posts and outposts along the Tajik-Afghan border and is funded by the Government of Japan.
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