In the period from April 25 to April 29, 2022, the fourth National simulation training for practitioners on countering the legalization (laundering) of proceeds from drug crime was held on the basis of CARICC.

The organizers were the Regional Hub for Countering Global Threats of the Law Enforcement Academy under the General Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan, CARICC, the US Embassy in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the OSCE Program Office in Nur-Sultan, and the UNODC Regional Office in Central Asia.

The event was held with the participation of representatives of CARICC, the Academy of the General Prosecutor's Office, the Financial Monitoring Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the National Security Committee, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the prosecutor's office of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as invited international experts on the project "Strengthening the capacity of competent authorities in conducting parallel financial investigations and suppressing illegal financial flows associated with organized crime and drug trafficking”.

The training was attended by interdepartmental investigative teams from 4 regions of Kazakhstan - Akmola, Mangistau, Pavlodar and West Kazakhstan regions.

With a welcoming speech, the participants of this event were addressed by acting. CARICC Director Ms. Assel Rakhimova. The representative of CARICC, Ms. Tatiana Evdokimova, made a presentation to the participants on the topic: “Peculiarities of conducting financial investigations in cases related to illicit trafficking in drugs and other prohibited substances” and provided practical assistance in conducting it from the position of an international expert in the field of financial investigations for the purposes of countering the laundering (legalization) of criminal proceeds from drug trafficking.

The format of the simulation training provided for the creation of conditions and situations aimed at simulating the actual commission of a criminal act in order to develop the practical skills of specialists in detecting, suppressing and investigating this type of crime; strengthening cooperation between financial intelligence units and law enforcement agencies to combat drug trafficking; definition and use of key indicators for the detection and confiscation of drug money.

One of the main tasks of the simulation training was to develop methods of interaction within the framework of interdepartmental investigative and operational groups to identify channels and schemes for financing drug crime.

The participants of the simulation training exchanged expert opinions, experience and best practices on the latest developments in financial investigations and the suppression of illegal financial flows related to organized crime, drug trafficking, cybercrime and virtual assets.

Participants and organizers of the training noted the high practical significance of events held in this format.

As part of the component to strengthen cross-border cooperation in Central Asia by forming information networks in the departments responsible for ensuring border security of Sub-program 1 of the UNODC Program for the States of Central Asia from CARICC in the period from April 25 to April 29, 2021 in the Center for Advanced Studies of the Border Guard Service of the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic in Osh, UNODC specialists and an employee of CARICC conducted a basic training course on the operation of geoinformation software ESRI "ArcGIS"

During the training, participants were provided with basic theoretical knowledge and practical skills in organizing and conducting strategic data analysis using ESRI's ArcGIS geoinformation software.

The training course was organized on the basis of a combination of several teaching methods, according to the principle: story-show-consolidation of the material covered by solving practical exercises using MS Excel and geoinformation software.

On April 28, 2022, in Almaty, on the basis of the Interdepartmental Center for the Training of Specialists in Combating Drug Crime of the Almaty Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan named after M. Esbulatov, the CARICC delegation took part in a training course for employees of the UNP DP (T) of the territorial divisions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan taking courses advanced training on the basis of the above Center.

The event was also attended by the management and teaching staff of the Center.

The participants were provided with information about the main activities of the Center and the prospects for its development, the current drug situation in its countries, the specifics of conducting financial investigations in cases related to drug trafficking and other prohibited substances, as well as the results of work in the field of combating transnational drug crime, including the detection of clandestine laboratories using the potential of CARICC.

In addition, the participants of the meeting had a constructive exchange of opinions and experience in the anti-drug sphere.

Based on the results of the above visit, as part of the ongoing cooperation between CARICC and the Almaty Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the leadership of the Interdepartmental Center for Training Specialists in Combating Drug Crime expressed gratitude to the representatives of CARICC in conducting this training and noted that such events contribute to improving the professional level of law enforcement officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan and their use of skills in their official activities.

On April 27, 2022, a meeting was held in Dushanbe with the Director of the Central Asian Regional Information Coordination Center for Combating Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Their Precursors, Major General of Militia R.Miralizoda and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan M. Khuseynzoda.

At the meeting, current issues of organizing the activities of CARICC, prospects for its further development, including in terms of expanding the membership of the participating states and observers of the Center, were discussed. Special attention is paid to the issues of ensuring the financial stability of CARICC, taking into account the importance of strengthening cooperation in the fight against international drug crime against the backdrop of the development of the drug situation in Central Asia.

The parties expressed their commitment to the implementation of the decisions of the Council of National Coordinators of the CARICC Member States to ensure the effective operation of the Center.