OSCE concludes training course for Uzbekistan’s canine handlers

On 26 September, the OSCE Secretariat Transnational Threats Department, in partnership with the UK Surrey Police Dog Training Center concluded a one-month training course for the National Canine (K9) Training Center under the Customs Committee of Uzbekistan. The course is aimed at strengthening the capacity of Uzbek K9 instructors to effectively use dogs in countering transnational threats through better detection of drugs, cash, and firearms at border check points.

Four instructors from the National K9 Training Center under the Customs Committee of Uzbekistan went through over 130 hours of theoretical and practical sessions delivered by their colleagues from the Surrey Police Dog Training Center. The sessions included advanced techniques and methods for service dogs in accordance with UK standards and efficient practices.

During the graduation ceremony, the Uzbek K9 instructors and their service dogs demonstrated their skills in the search for drugs, cash, and firearms.

Once back in Uzbekistan, the instructors will be integrating the newly acquired methodologies and skills into the canine training programmes of the Customs Committee.

“I express my appreciation to the OSCE and the Surrey Police Training Center for the course. I believe we will continue our co-operation in this field. We will also look for avenues for co-operation in the area of service dog development and breeding programmes,”- -said Farrukh Kakhkhorov, Director of the National K9 Training Center.

“It has been a pleasure to be engaged in the training of the service dogs and Instructors from Uzbekistan.  The canine Instructors came with a wealth of experience which has been further developed during this OSCE-supported course,” said Jim Lyon, Senior Instructor of the Surrey Police Dog Training Center.

“As a result of the support that has been provided, we have four new service dogs being added to the strength of the Customs Committee of Uzbekistan. This continuous professional development will make an impact on strengthening border security at the border checkpoints,” said Albina Yakubova, Project Officer of the OSCE ‘s Border Security and Management Unit.   

The activity is part of the OSCE’s project “Strengthening the resilience of Uzbekistan to address cross-border challenges emanating from Afghanistan” funded by Germany, Sweden, and the United States and based on the Memorandum of Understanding between the OSCE Secretariat and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey, on co-operation in the area of prevention and combatting illicit small arms and light weapons, stockpiles of conventional ammunition and explosives, signed in 2024.