UNODC Iran Contributes to Strengthening the Drugs and Precursors Capacity of the Iranian Law Enforcement by Organizing Specialized Training

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in the Islamic Republic of Iran organized a ten-day specialized training course on “Contemporary Forms of Combating Illegal Trafficking of Precursors and Production of Synthetic Drugs”, in Moscow, the Russian Federation, from 9 to 19 July 2024. 

Training has always played an important role under UNODC capacity building activities, and UNODC has always endeavored to provide the Iranian counterparts with the latest and highest quality trainings aimed to increase operational and analytical capacity to counter drug trafficking. 

UNODC has been actively present in the Islamic Republic of Iran since 1999 and considers Iran as one of the strategic partners for drug control and crime prevention in the region, and has been supporting the country by providing technical assistance and training since its establishment in Iran. UNODC Iran also has the history of cooperation with the government of the Russian Federation, as a major donor of its activities. This training was among a series of trainings, held in the Russian Federation and in the Islamic Republic of Iran, with the support of Russian experts and senior instructors.

The above mentioned workshop was organized with cooperation of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Institute of Advanced Training, which operates under the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MOI) of the Russian Federation, for law enforcement experts and officers from the Anti-Narcotics Police (ANP) of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The purpose of this workshop was to support and enhance capacities for investigation of drug-related crimes. Ten Iranian ANP officers participated in this workshop.

Comprehensive curriculum of this training encompassed topics, inter alia: Interpol practices in combating illicit drug trafficking; Profiling in Anti-Narcotics Police activities; Specifics of precursor control; Mechanism of illegal laboratory production of psychoactive substances; Criminalistic characteristics of illegal drug laboratories; Tactics of search in cases of illegal trafficking of drugs and precursors; and use of cryptocurrency in electronic means of payment in drug trafficking.

In addition to various lectures and specialized seminars and classes envisaged under the curriculum of this training, practical trainings and visits were foreseen for the members of the delegation, which significantly enriched the courses, and complemented the theoretical section. During the training, the delegation also, had a visit from the central museum of Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

In a message, Mr. Alexander Fedulov, the UNODC Iran Country Representative, hoped that this specialized training which was among a series of activities organized under generous funding of the Russian Federation, would be beneficial to participants and highlighted the importance of global cooperation in fight against drugs. He also stated that due to its unique geographical location, Iran bears a great responsibility, and at the same time, it has shown great commitment in fight against drugs and crimes. 

At graduation ceremony, the certificates of the participants from the Islamic Republic of Iran were handed over by Major General of Police Skivterist Andrey Anatolyevich, Head of the Russian Institute of Advanced Training of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. In this event, he expressed his willingness to continue cooperation and sharing of knowledge with UNODC Iran and Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the future.

At the end of the training and pursuant to the official ceremony, Iranian delegation visited the exhibition of the military equipment at the center.

UNODC Iran Cooperation with academies and academia in and from the Russian Federation lies under the UNODC Country Partnership Programme  for the Islamic Republic of Iran. The advanced training, held in this institute was made possible through generous funding received from the Russian Federation, and invaluable support and coordination extended to UNODC Iran by the Russian Embassy in Tehran.

The event was organized as part of the activities foreseen in the framework of the Sub-programme 1 "Border Management and Illicit Trafficking" of UNODC Country Partnership Programme (2023-2026) for the Islamic Republic of Iran. 

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For additional information please contact
Sougand Babaei (Ms.), National Programme Assistant.
UNODC Country Office in the Islamic Republic of Iran Tel.: +98 21 88 87 83 77 - 81
Email: Sougand.Babaei@un.org