BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 22
Trend:
Port Control Units (PCU) of Azerbaijan an Port Control Units of Turkmenistan shared information and a list of passengers of ferries coming from Azerbaijan to Turkmenistan, Trend reports with reference to Business Turkmenistan informational portal.
The information was exchanged using the secure WCO ContainerComm platform, which serves for exchanging encrypted confidential information between authorized services.
According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for Central Asia, the above is a good example of regional practical cooperation during a pandemic.
The global Container Control Program (GCCP) was created in 2004 by the UNODC and the WCO. The state customs service of Turkmenistan joined this program in 2009.
Since its inception, the Container Control Program has established more than 30 operational port control units, leading to significantly increased detection and confiscation of drugs and other illicit goods, including more than 100 tons of cocaine, 3 tons of heroin, 60 tons of cannabis, and 1,273 tons of precursor chemicals used to manufacture illicit drugs, as well as cigarettes, luxury cars, medicines and hazardous materials.
Agreement between the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan and the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Organizing the Exchange of Preliminary Information on Goods and Means of Transport Crossing Turkmenistan and the Republic of Azerbaijan was signed in Ashgabat in 2018.