From 15 to 17 February, the Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA 10) held a training of trainers (ToT) on car and truck searches in Almaty. This activity targeted representatives of the customs and border guard agencies responsible for organising the training process and development of the methodology for inspecting vehicles in Kazakhstan.

This BOMCA 10 activity strengthened skills and competencies for the effective inspection of cars and trucks crossing border posts in order to identify illegally transported goods, weapons, drugs and other high-risk items. This is the third ToT of its kind conducted by the BOMCA Programme in the region of Central Asia, following similar activity in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The training session was conducted by experts from the National Customs Board of the State Revenue Service of Latvia, who paid special attention to the methodology of effective controls and detection of smuggled goods.

Also, participants were acquainted with the latest technical solutions for effective vehicle searches. In addition, the target group was equipped with the practical skills to organise further training courses on the topic and thus transfer knowledge within their agencies.   

The training course was organised in the framework of the Programme’s Component 3 “Facilitation of Trade” which aims to further support the regional economic integration process.