OSCE, SECI Centre present police manual on controlled delivery

VIENNA, 28 April 2009 - The OSCE's Strategic Police Matters Unit and the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative Regional Centre for Combating Transborder Crime (SECI) presented a manual today that is aimed at helping to improve cross-border co-operation to combat trafficking of drugs and other illicit goods.

Controlled delivery is an investigative technique employed to identify recipients of shipments of drugs or other contraband, and to monitor the delivery of the goods to them to secure the arrests of perpetrators. Countries have different rules and legislation governing requests related to controlled deliveries, and the new manual, for law enforcement officials and the judiciary in South-eastern Europe, is intended to improve co-operation across borders.

"The OSCE/SECI manual aims to support law enforcement in managing controlled deliveries and ensuring that they effectively investigate and prosecute the organized crime networks responsible for the trafficking of illicit narcotics and psychotropic substances," said Kevin Carty, Senior Police Adviser to the OSCE Secretary General.

"The manual details the legislation and rules governing controlled deliveries in each state and provides the relevant contact details. This represents an important step towards improving co-operation across states and agencies in combating transnational organized crime."

The manual is a response to recommendations from an OSCE/UNODC Drugs Experts Meeting held in Istanbul in 2008. The manual was designed to be a 'living' document and will be regularly updated.

More information about the manual can be found on the OSCE POLIS website: http://polis.osce.org.