OSCE strengthens Montenegro’s border security with training on arms and human trafficking

The OSCE is helping strengthen Montenegro’s ability to combat arms and human trafficking through targeted training for border and criminal police officers. From 13 to 16 May in Bar, Montenegro, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department (TNTD), in close co-ordination with the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, trained 15 officers from Montenegro’s Police Directorate as part of its ongoing support for border security and management.

The course marked another deployment of the OSCE-led Mobile Training Team (MTT). It brought together expert trainers from the national police forces of North Macedonia and Tunisia, the OSCE Forum for Security and Co-operation, and INTERPOL’s I-Force Project as well as national experts from the Ministry of the Interior, the criminal police and the Forensic Centre of Montenegro, along with representatives from the US Embassy including the Director of its Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

“This course is part of our long-standing support to participating States in strengthening border security in a human right-based way. Montenegro’s location, bordering the Schengen area, places it at a crucial juncture in the regional and European security landscape: a place where threats can be intercepted, co-operation can begin, and resilience is built,” highlighted Siv-Katrine Leirtroe, Head of TNTD’s Border Security and Management Unit.

Participants took part in hands-on scenario-based exercises, real-life operational case studies and theoretical sessions tailored to Montenegro’s context. The training focused on detecting and responding to indicators of trafficking in human beings using a victim-centred approach. The segment on arms trafficking furthermore explored Montenegro’s national profile and regional trafficking trends, introducing international tools such as INTERPOL’s iARMS database. The course promoted stronger interagency co-operation and emphasized human rights principles as well as gender- and age-sensitive approaches in border security controls.

“For Montenegro, the fight against trafficking in weapons and human beings is a key priority in safeguarding national and regional security. Only through co-ordinated efforts, information exchange, and continuous training can we effectively respond to threats that undermine the rule of law and the safety of our citizens,” said Predrag Savovic, Senior Police Inspector, Head of the Small Arms and Light Weapons Commission of Montenegro. 

This training course is part of the OSCE extrabudgetary project “Training and Deployment of OSCE Mobile Training Team to Better Address Challenges in Identifying the Cross-Border Movement of Foreign Terrorist Fighters and Other Cross-Border Crimes in the OSCE Area–Phase II”, funded by Germany and the United States.