On September 23, the Border Management Programme in Central Asia completed its training of trainers (ToT) course for dog handling instructors specializing in the search for drugs. The 2nd round of ToT was organized within the framework of BOMCA Programme’s Component 2, “Improvement of detection capacities to counter cross-border crime”.
A 3-month training course featured the participation of five trainers from border, customs and law enforcement agencies from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The main aim of the activity was to raise Central Asia dog handlers’ theoretical knowledge and practical skills for training K9 teams and service dogs, used for daily border guarding and other tasks specific to law enforcement agencies.
After the participants return to their home countries, they will pass on the knowledge gained in Europe to their colleagues, who will train other instructors.
A closing ceremony was held at the Dog Handling Center of the State Border Guard Service of of Lithuania, where Management of State Border Guard Service, as well as BOMCA 10 Component 2 Leader – colonel Donatas Skarnulis provided the Central Asian dog handlers not only certificates indicating successful completion of the course, but also trained dogs and sets of necessary equipment.