From 14 to 16 March, the Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA 10) held a workshop in Dushanbe on the investigation of cross-border crimes such as trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants. The workshop targeted the representatives of the investigation and criminal intelligence units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Committee of National Security, Border Troops of the State Committee on National Security and Prosecutor General’s Office of Tajikistan. This is the third workshop of its kind conducted by the BOMCA Programme in the Central Asian region, following similar activities in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

This workshop strengthened the investigation capacities of criminal intelligence officers and investigators of the national security, internal affairs, and Prosecutor’s offices and border guard agencies in the field of cross-border crimes. The workshop looked into the European legal instruments for countering trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants, as well as novel methods of investigating organised cross-border crimes, profiling and identification techniques of victims of trafficking. Special attention was paid to case studies and practical exercises.

As a result of discussions and analysis of the existing practices, a standard operating procedure on investigation of trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants will be developed and a Training of Trainers (ToT) Handbook will be developed addressing migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings.