Air cargo control unit set up at IIA

This is the third unit to be set up in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD:

A new air cargo control unit was inaugurated at the Islamabad International Airport (IIA).

The unit has been set up by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Pakistan Country Office, the World Customs Organisation (WCO) as part of the UNODC Container Control Programme (CCP), in partnership with the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and Pakistan Customs.

The unit is tasked with profiling inbound and outbound air consignments and identify and stop those that may carry illicit substances. Smugglers use legitimate cargo to cover their illegal shipments and the high volume of global trade consignment movements makes it particularly hard for Customs and law enforcement officers to spot illicit consignments.

To address this challenge, UNODC and World Customs Organisation (WCO) developed the Container Control Programme concept and methodology which invests on human resource development and training profiling experts.

The programme aims to bring the best of counterpart agencies together and focus the unit on risk analysis, joint profiling and targeting in an inter-agency setup.

This is the third unit to be set up with the first established in Karachi in 2016 followed by Lahore in 2018.

“The success of the container control programme in Pakistan is a result of the great commitment from national counterparts,” said Jeremy Milsom, the UNODC Representative for the Country Office in Pakistan, while speaking during the inauguration ceremony.

“This is a great example where the joint initiative of UNODC and WCO flourishes through national counterparts’ reception, collaboration and appreciation,” Milsom continued.

Japanese Embassy Charge d’ Affaires Yusuke Shindo said that strengthening aviation security to prevent trafficking of illegal items is one of the major challenges, not only for Pakistan but other countries as well.

“Stability and peace are one of the important pillars of the foreign policy of Japan,” he said adding that the Japanese government continues to contribute to stability-based on laws and regulations in various countries.”