TEHRAN -Anti-Narcotics Police of the Islamic Republic of Iran has participated in a specialized training course on 'Controlling Measures against Drug Smuggling (Including at Airports)', held by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Moscow.

The ten-day course was organized in collaboration with the Domodedovo Institute of Advanced Training, which operates under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, from September 23 to October 3, the UN website announced in a press release on October 24.

UNODC has been actively present in the Islamic Republic of Iran since 1999 and considers Iran as one of the strategic partners for drug control and crime prevention in the region and has been supporting the country by providing technical assistance and skills improvement activities since its establishment. 

UNODC Iran cooperates with the government of the Russian Federation, as a donor of its activities. The training was among a series of skills improvement events held in the Russian Federation and in the Islamic Republic of Iran, with the support of Russian professional instructors.

The comprehensive curriculum of this specialized training encompassed key elements of knowledge and practices in combating illicit drug trafficking and search techniques; modern possibilities for identifying individuals who smuggle narcotic drugs; and methods for concealing illicit items on road, rail, and air transport. 

In addition to various lectures and classes envisaged under the curriculum of this training, practical visits, trainings, and demonstrations were foreseen for the members of the delegation, which significantly enriched the courses, and complemented the theoretical section. 

In this training, the Iranian delegation also visited the Kazan railway station and Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow. To advance professional practical skills, participants were demonstrated with various sections of the airport and railway station, including passenger areas, customs check, luggage transfer, and canine unit. 

In an opening message, Alexander Fedulov, the UNODC representative in Iran, hoped that this specialized training which was among a series of activities organized under generous funding of the Russian Federation, would be beneficial to participants and highlighted the importance of global cooperation in the fight against drugs. 

The official also stated that due to its unique geographical location, Iran bears a great responsibility, and at the same time, it has shown great commitment to fight against drugs and crimes. 

At the graduation ceremony, the certificates of the participants from the Islamic Republic of Iran were handed over by Mr. Skivterist, the Head of the Domodedovo Russian Institute of Advanced Training of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. 

He expressed readiness of the Institute to continue cooperation and sharing of professional knowledge with colleagues from the Islamic Republic of Iran. 

UNODC Iran cooperation with academies from the Russian Federation lies under the UNODC Country Partnership Programme for the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The advanced training, held in this institute was made possible through support from the Russian Federation, and effective coordination extended to UNODC Iran by the Russian Embassy in Tehran.

UNODC boosts Iran’s capacity to prevent drug trafficking

In August, a total of three X-ray Body Scanners crucial for efficiently identifying narcotic drugs concealed in the body or swallowed were installed in three international airports of the country, namely Imam Khomeini International Airport, Gorgan International Airport, and Ahvaz International Airport.

The UNODC in Iran procured and installed these devices with the aim of preventing the illegal trafficking of drugs through the air border of Iran, the UN website announced in a press release on August 7.

On August 4, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in the Islamic Republic of Iran in an official ceremony handed over one X-ray Body Scanner.

The official event was organized at the Imam Khomeini International Airport, with the presence of representatives from UNODC Iran, the Drug Control Headquarters (DCHQ), and the Anti-Narcotics Police of the Islamic Republic of Iran. 

The Office also provided pertinent specialized training for end users of each device, under the guidance and supervision of professional technical engineers. 

Due to its geographic proximity to Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran serves as both a destination and a transit route for illicit drug trafficking, especially opioids and recently methamphetamine produced in Afghanistan. In response to this challenge, the UNODC Iran under its Sub-Program 1 “Border Management and Illicit Trafficking” continues to support, both technically and financially, the national drug control efforts, through the implementation of various activities. 

Mahdi Javaheri, Director General of the International Relations Office of DCHQ, in his statements, expressed his gratitude to the UNODC for continuous support extended to the Iranian controlling entities and hoped the support will continue and increase in the future, considering the high demand for provision of controlling equipment, especially X-ray devices.

On July 24, UNODC in Iran handed over 4 drug identification devices, procured through generous support by the Japanese Government, in an official ceremony at the premises of the DCHQ in Tehran.

These devices which will be used for controlling a wide range of drugs trafficked, especially at the eastern borders of Iran with Afghanistan, have been procured under sub-program 1 of the UNODC Country Partnership Program (CPP) 2023-2026.  

The government of Japan has been supporting UNODC Iran’s activities on Drug Supply Reduction for many years.   

The Ambassador of Japan in Iran, Tamaki Tsukada, has expressed his willingness to support trilateral cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran, UNODC, and the government of Japan.

He also commented on the successful achievements of the Islamic Republic of Iran and stated that the level of activities and seizures by Iran, at the frontline of the fight against drugs, is very impressive.

MT/MG