Afghan police officers graduate from OSCE-organized counter-narcotics course
VIENNA, 10 December 2008 - Twelve Afghan police officers graduated today from a drugs-fighting training course, organized by the OSCE with the International Drugs-fighting Training Centre of the Russian Advanced Police Academy in Domodedovo, outside Moscow.
The advanced training course, which was facilitated by the OSCE Strategic Police Matters Unit (SPMU), was specifically designed for the Afghan officers, and focused on practical exercises on the planning and organizing of drugs searching operations. The participants also examined the entire process of prosecuting drugs-related criminal cases, starting with the police investigation and ending in the courts.
"Enhancing regional cross border co-operation to combat illicit drug trafficking, and helping to develop effective counter-narcotics institutions are fundamental to long-term success, and we are pleased to assist the Afghan National Police in providing this training," said Kevin Carty, OSCE Senior Police Adviser.
Following the OSCE Ministerial Council decisions adopted in Bucharest in 2001 and in Madrid last year the SPMU has helped organize different types of training for police practitioners in the OSCE region, particularly on fighting drugs trafficking.