OSCE Mission to Skopje supports training course to help border police combat car smuggling

SKOPJE, 24 June 2009 - An OSCE-supported training course that started in Skopje today aims to help Border Police and other police units improve their capacity to detect car smuggling.

The OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje is organizing the course in co-operation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Two trainers from the Austrian Interior Ministry are leading the week-long course for 22 participants from the border police, traffic police, Crime Investigation Department and Customs Administration. 

"This specialized training course is part of a wider plan to strengthen the host country's capacity to fight organized crime and maintain effective border controls. This type of crime has no boundaries and combating it benefits not only the host country but also other countries in the region and wider Europe," said Paulo Costa, the Head of the OSCE Mission's Police Development Department.

After completing the training, 14 participants will be selected to attend a one-week course where they will learn how to teach similar courses.