On 22 April 2024, the CSTO Secretariat hosted a working meeting between the Deputy Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, Samat Ordabaev, and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Central Asia, Head of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), Kakha Imnadze.
From 22 to 26 April, this year, the CSTO Secretariat is holding an annual training meeting for representatives of ministries and departments of the Collective Security Treaty Organization member states without military status.
The meeting was held in the city of Moscow under the chairmanship of Viktor Zinoviev, Secretary of the CSTO Interstate Commission on Military-Economic Cooperation (ICMEC, Commission).
Preliminary results of the sub-regional anti-drug operation "Channel-Second Barrier" are summarized
27.05.2022In order to implement the proposals made at the Special meeting of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) of 23.08.2021, to combat the transit of drugs from Afghanistan along the "Northern route", eliminate the drug raw materials base, close drug smuggling channels, suppress the activities of transnational drug gangs, underground laboratories, undermine the economic basis of drug trafficking, including the legalization of drug proceeds, reveal facts of financing terrorism and terrorist organizations from drug trafficking, as well as the seizure of weapons, ammunition and explosives from illicit trafficking, a sub-regional anti-drug operation "Channel-Second Barrier" was conducted from 23 to 27 May 2022 in the format of the CSTO.
During this period, the Kyrgyz Ministry of Internal Affairs deployed an International Coordination Staff (ICS) in Osh city, which was attended by representatives of competent authorities of the CSTO member States and observers from the UNODC, the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, the OSCE, the sectoral cooperation bodies of customs services and internal affairs bodies of the CIS member States, Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism.
The ICS conducted an in-depth analysis of the drug situation in the CSTO member States, ensured coordination between national staffs and the rapid exchange of relevant information.
Officers from the competent authorities of the CSTO member States, seconded to the ICS, and observers carried out practical visits to the Jalal-Abad and Batken regions to familiarize themselves with the work of mobile groups and temporary checkpoints set up as part of the Operation "Channel-Second Barrier" in the most dangerous areas where drug trafficking takes place.
The security of officers on duty against drug trafficking was provided by the "Shumkar" special operations regiment of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is part of the special operations forces of the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Forces.
Participants of the ICS and representatives of law enforcement agencies of the Kyrgyz Republic exchanged experience in identifying new methods of concealing drugs in cargo and vehicles, routes of illegal logistics of controlled drugs, new methods of counteraction to the spread of drugs, the use of sniffer dogs and special equipment.
In the course of the operation, the controlled delivery method was actively used to uncover all the details of the drug smugglers' illegal activities.
The law enforcement agencies of the CSTO member States implemented comprehensive measures to prevent drug traffickers from using modern information communication technologies in the interests of the drug business.
On May 27 this year, in Osh city, with the participation of Ulanbek Sultanov, Chief of the Service for Combating Illicit Drug Trafficking of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, a meeting of the ISC was held to summarize the preliminary results of the joint (coordinated) actions to implement the concept of operation " Channel -Second Barrier".
More than 11 thousand officers and servicemen of the bodies of internal affairs, drug control, special services and customs were involved in the operation,
They seized from the illegal turnover:
- 274 kg of narcotic drugs, psychotropic and potent substances, including more than 5 kg of heroin, about 70 kg of marijuana and 75 kg of hashish;
- more than 86 kg of synthetic drugs such as alpha-PVP, mephedrone, methamphetamine and others;
- more than two tons of precursors;
- 51 firearms and 2,836 pieces of ammunition, including hand grenades.
Three "underground" drug laboratories were identified and eliminated. 389 criminal cases related to illegal drug trafficking were initiated, including against 28 criminal drug groups, in 21 cases related to drug smuggling. 50 persons wanted for committing crimes in the field of drug trafficking were detected. 306 web-sites, through which illegal information on drugs was disseminated, were detected.
The measures taken have had a significant preventive effect.
On the basis of the experience gained during the sub-regional operation "Channel - Second Barrier", in order to strengthen collective security, the next active stages of the CSTO Regional Anti-Drug Operation "Channel" will already be planned and carried out this year for the benefit of all peoples of the CSTO member States.
