OSCE trains border security officers in Kazakhstan in use of density metres

A two-day training seminar on the use of density metres for inspecting vehicles entering Kazakhstan began on 26 October 2015 in Kazygurt, near the city of Shymkent and close to the Uzbekistan border.

The event was co-organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana and the US Embassy in Astana in co-operation with the Border Service of the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan for some 30 border service officers who will learn how to use contraband detector systems that can be used to help search vehicles and shipping containers. The event will conclude with a practical exercise using the devices to identify possible hidden compartments in doors, wheels and vehicles to smuggle illegal goods across borders.

The training course is within the OSCE’s concept of countering transnational organized crime in the region and aims to provide border officers with the knowledge and techniques in effective search procedures for vehicles at border checkpoints. It follows a previous three-day training event, held in December 2014 in Kordai, near the Kyrgyzstan border.

The seminar is part of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana’s efforts to support integrated border security management.