OSCE trains Mongolian law enforcement agencies in countering cross-border illicit movements

The examination and detection of people, cargo and vehicles at the border was the focus of a five-day workshop which ended on 12 June 2015 in Ulaanbataar, Mongolia. The workshop was organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department’s Border Security and Management Unit at the request of the Ministry of Justice of Mongolia.

The workshop involved 20 officials from the Customs Service, the Border Protection Service, the National Police Authority and the Specialized Inspection Service of Mongolia.

In addition to classroom presentations, there were several practical exercises which saw participants practice conducting searches of passenger vehicles, buses and cargo trucks, and attempting to locate hidden contraband, weapons and other illicit movements across borders.  Further topics included integrity, security sector reform, and the OSCE Border Security and Management Concept.

Discussions also focused on current threats such as the outbreak of MERS Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, ISIS, the growing movement of gemstones out of the region, the impact of trading partners and their currency fluctuations on imports and exports with Mongolia, and ways to counteract the influence of cross-border criminal organizations.

This was the third in a series of workshops organized in the Mongolian capital by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department’s Border Security and Management Unit.