The Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Center for Combating Illicit Trafficking of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and their Precursors (CARICC), within its mandate, is actively expanding international cooperation with counter-narcotics agencies in tackling illicit drug trafficking in the Central Asian region.
The fact of signing a joint statement “On an expanded strategic partnership in the century of prosperity of Asia” in November 2016 by Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Sinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, indicates to the strengthening of cooperation and interaction.
Thus, Section 26 of the above-mentioned document notes, “The Parties reaffirmed the importance of efforts in the fight against drugs in Central Asia. The Japanese side highly appreciated the activities of the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Center for Combating Illicit Trafficking of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and their Precursors (CARICC) located in Almaty”.
The Kazakh side welcomed Japan’s financial assistance to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, as well as the extension of the project, under which Japanese specialists deliver lectures and training sessions for drug enforcement officers from Afghanistan and Central Asia, and expressed an intention to make efforts in combating illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs through active participation of drug enforcement officers of the above countries”.
As part of strengthening the cooperation among CARICC and Japan, in January 2017, an operational meeting was held with the Second Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in Kazakhstan, Sato Katsunori. The meeting noted the donors’ assistance of Japan in the development of CARICC. It was expressed the wish to see strong ties in the future between CARICC and Japanese anti-drug structures, including those within the framework of the Dialogue “Central Asia plus Japan”.
In February 2017, CARICC’s leadership, in the person of A. Shayakhmetov, Deputy Director, attended the 22nd Asian-Pacific Conference on Operational Fight against Drugs (ADEC-22), organized in Tokyo by the National Police Agency of Japan (NPA).
The Conference discussed the ongoing changes in the illicit trafficking of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATSs) and new psychoactive substances (NPSs) on a global scale. In turn, CARICC noted activities in the field of counteracting the illicit trafficking in ATSs and NPSs in the Center member states; efforts were announced in the area of combating NPSs in the framework of Operation ‘REFLERX’ in 2017. A series of measures as part of this operation is designed to establish an early warning system of new substances and other synthetic drugs harmful for the health and life of citizens of CARICC member states. During negotiations with the competent authorities of Japan at the Conference platform, CARICC initiated a number of proposals for joint work with the Japanese NPA. In particular, it was suggested to review a possibility of the participation of the competent authorities of Japan in CARICC’s work on the establishment of an early warning system for NPSs in the Center member states, and also to exchange analytical information of the trends in the development of the drug situation in Japan and CARICC member states.
Thus, opportunities are being implemented for further development of cooperation and partnership between CARICC and Japan in the field of combating international drug trafficking.

CARICC
http://www.caricc.org