OSCE trains law enforcement officers in Kazakhstan on countering transnational organized crime

An OSCE-supported training seminar on countering transnational organized crime and trafficking in drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors began on 5 October 2015 in Shymkent, southern Kazakhstan.

The three-day event, co-organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, the State Revenues Committee of the Finance Ministry and the United States Embassy in Kazakhstan, aims at enhancing law enforcement officers’ knowledge and improving their skills in addressing these transnational threats.

Some 20 officers representing State Revenues Committee, General Prosecutor’s Office, the Interior Ministry, the Canine Centre of the State Revenue Committee and the Border Service of the National Security Committee will learn best practices on countering transnational organized crime and illegal drug trafficking.

National and international experts will provide an overview of international experience in identifying and precluding transnational channels of the illicit drug and drug precursor trade as well as of using controlled deliveries and psychological techniques to identify drug traffickers. Some sessions will be dedicated to synthetic drugs and their control, with particular focus on the US experiences. Professional psychologists will share techniques of identifying potential criminals crossing international borders. Interactive exercises will simulate real-life situations that officers might encounter in their everyday work.

This is the fourth and concluding seminar on this topic conducted by the Office in 2015, which is part of the activities aimed to build the host country’s capacities to prevent and counter transnational organized crime with a specific focus on trafficking in drugs. Overall, some 110 customs officials attended the training seminars in Aktau, Almaty and Ust-Kamenogorsk.