OSCE trains Afghan law enforcement officers in Moscow on combatting drug trafficking

DOMODEDOVO, Russia, 29 April 2014 – Twelve Afghan officers from federal and provincial police authorities completed an OSCE-supported two-week train-the-trainers course near Moscow today on combatting illicit drug trafficking and drug-related crimes.

The course, which was co-ordinated by the OSCE, took place in Domodedovo, south-east of Moscow, at the Advanced Training Institute of the Interior Ministry of the Russian Federation. The training course focused on how to best counter the most up-to-date strategies and tactics deployed by drug dealers.

The course included practical exercises in search techniques, the effective use of dogs and special equipment, documenting search-operation results and their processing through further investigation. Trainees learned how illegal drug labs are set up, and how they can be detected and dismantled.

“OSCE participating States are concerned about the continuing spread of illicit trafficking in opiates from Afghanistan, and the Organization continues to support Afghan law enforcement in addressing this threat,” said Alexey Lyzhenkov, OSCE Co-ordinator of Activities to Address Transnational Threats. “The OSCE undertakes various initiatives to strengthen capacity of the Afghan law enforcement, police, border, customs and other officials to combat illegal drugs, and thus contribute to more security in the region.”

Head of the Russian Advanced Training Institute Lieutenant General Yury Demidov said: “The Russian Federation supports OSCE activities in the area of combating illicit drugs, and invests heavily in building the capacities of Afghan law enforcement agencies to tackle the drugs problem in accordance with relevant UN Conventions and the national counter-narcotic strategy of Afghanistan. The Institute hosted this course free-of-charge as an opportunity for the OSCE to strengthen the anti-drugs capacity of Afghan law enforcement personnel.”

The project was supported by the governments of the Russian Federation and the Netherlands.

The course is part of efforts by the OSCE Secretariat’s Transnational Threats Department to implement the OSCE Concept for Combating the Threat of Illicit Drugs and the Diversion of Chemical Precursors, which was adopted in 2012. Lyzhenkov added the Organization would continue to provide assistance to Afghanistan as an OSCE Partner for Co-operation.