UNODC brings together an interregional network of customs authorities and port control units and a judicial cooperation network for Central Asia and the South Caucasus to combat drug trafficking.

Modern transnational criminal networks are run like a commercial enterprise and also require funding, members, premises and equipment to operate. These groups find ways to provide illicit goods and services while facing the risks posed by law enforcement. Advanced analytical techniques can help government agencies better detect, investigate and disrupt these transnational criminal networks and their financial infrastructure.

With this in mind, the UNODC Passenger and Cargo Border Team (PCBT) and the Global Program on Disrupting Criminal Networks (GPCD) jointly delivered a four-day training from 21 to 24 May 2024 in Tashkent, in Uzbekistan, aimed at strengthening the capacities of countries along major drug trafficking routes to introduce a systematic approach to combating organized crime by identifying and dismantling drug trafficking networks.

The training, led by UNODC experts, brought together 31 practitioners from customs and prosecutorial services from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan, engaged in the PCBT interregional network of customs and port authorities. Monitoring Units (IREN) and GPCD Judicial Cooperation Network for Central Asia and the South Caucasus (CASC).

In his opening speech, Sardor Atashikov, PCBT Regional Program Coordinator for Central Asia, highlighted that drug trafficking across borders remains one of the most significant challenges globally, in which legal international trade and transport corridors and infrastructure are used for illicit purposes. The PCBT is particularly well placed to assist Member States by providing expertise and international best practices and by facilitating cooperation between border management agencies on strategic and practical issues. Sardor Atashikov highlighted that a record number of data exchanges and alert messages on high-risk shipments, carried out by IREN countries with tangible seizure results, demonstrate significant progress both in mutual trust and in the practicality of this framework. In this regard, he thanked the governments of Japan and the United States for making this event possible through generous financial support.

Ms. Takita-Sato Tae, First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Uzbekistan, in her welcome speech, emphasized that to effectively address these challenges, joint efforts are needed more than ever to confront risks and threats potential for regional security. In this regard, Ms. Takita-Sato Tae said that the Japanese government has long supported efforts to combat drug trafficking and cross-border organized crime in countries neighboring Afghanistan, in cooperation with national authorities and the UNODC.

Based on country and region specific scenarios, the training course included sessions on criminal network analysis based on agenda topics. Hands-on exercises highlighting specific instruments and techniques gave participants the opportunity to apply various analytical techniques to complement current traditional and specialized investigative methods. The course highlighted the key role of inter-institutional cooperation in the fight against illicit trafficking networks.

The analytical approaches applied during the training have been informed by practices from academia, industry and other disciplines and have been adapted to be accessible and easily applied to the existing work context. This initial course was envisaged to pave the way for a broad capacity building program for the IREN and CASC networks, ensuring a focus on operational and applied impact in the fight against all forms of illicit trafficking.