The three-day seminar, organized by the OSCE Center in Ashgabat, focused on the experience of combating illegal drugs and precursors, as well as new trends in drug trafficking and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The training course was attended by 20 students - representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Border Service, the State Customs Service and the General Prosecutor's Office of Turkmenistan.

The workshop program included lectures and practical exercises followed by interactive discussions led by an international expert from Georgia.

As part of the course, participants were provided with information on the relevant legal framework and regional changes, which helps to increase the operational awareness of law enforcement, border guards and customs officials in the detection and identification of illegal drugs and chemical precursors used for their production.

Also, the aim of the seminar was to improve intradepartmental and interdepartmental coordination and to facilitate the efforts of border control authorities and the police to suppress and prevent drug trafficking and solve drug use problems.

Commenting on the outcome of the training seminar, Head of the OSCE Center in Ashgabat John McGregor said:

- Undoubtedly, illicit drugs and new psychoactive substances are considered one of the most serious problems for society, as well as a serious threat to the health and safety of people and their social well-being. They disrupt public order, fuel violent crime and destabilize national economies. I am very concerned about the global problem of illicit drugs. Law enforcement experts say the market has proven to be “highly resilient” to the impact of the pandemic crisis as traffickers change routes and methods of drug trafficking and create new markets for smuggling. In our time, we must respond in a new way to the illicit drug trade. To this end, we must work with OSCE participating States and globally to share best practices and experiences in combating drug trafficking.

The training seminar was organized within the framework of the Center's project "Strengthening the capacity of law enforcement and security officials of Turkmenistan to counter transnational threats associated with organized crime and terrorism”.

Earlier we reported that an OSCE seminar on small business development for women was held in Ashgabat.