OSCE trains border guards on document security in Kazakhstan

A five-day OSCE-supported train-the-trainer course on the detection of forged travel documents and identification techniques for 21 border service officers concluded in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 26 April 2019.

Experts from the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior developed a tailored programme for Kazakhstan’s officers of the National Security Committee’s Border Service. Participants learned about paper production processes, security features introduced into paper, security inks and different printing technologies. Experts presented some 200 samples of real and forged travel documents and discussed how to identify a number of security features in these documents.

Practical exercises allowed the participants to work with banknotes of more than a dozen countries from around the world. Experts provided them with illuminated magnifiers, USB-digital microscopes and a Docubox device to allow the border control officers to apply their acquired skills. In addition to learning best practices in document verification, the future instructors were given guidance on how to best teach these concepts to others. The seminar will be supplemented by two additional one-week courses to complete the trainers’ preparation.

The event was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan in co-operation with the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Programme of the United States Embassy in Nur-Sultan, Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre for Combating Illicit Trafficking of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and their Precursors (CARICC), and the Border Guard Service under the National Security Committee. The training course was supported by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department’s Travel Document Security Programme.