AKIPRESS.COM - The fifth and concluding OSCE-supported training seminar for some 20 officers of the Border Service of Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee on profiling techniques to counter transnational threats, began on October 10 in Astana, OCSE said in a news release.

The five-day event, co-organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana and the United States Embassy in Kazakhstan, aims to equip participants with psychological techniques to help identify potential criminals at border checkpoints.

Experts from the Association of Psychologists and Behavioural Therapists of Kazakhstan and the Central Asian Regional Information Co-ordination Centre for Combating the Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and their Precursors (CARICC) will present an overview of the security situation in Central Asia with a focus on drug trafficking.

The series focuses on psychological profiling, including identifying the elements of risk profiles and understanding the consistency between the type of vehicle, belongings and the purpose of the trip. Experts will also present ways to use different risk indicators depending on the scope of work at specific border crossing points. A practical exercise will complement the training course.

“All countries are vulnerable to threats stemming from international terrorism, violent extremism, transnational organized crime and illicit trafficking,” said Colin McCullough, Political Officer at the OSCE Programme Office in Astana. “Border guards are a key element of countering these threats should be equipped with advanced skills and techniques, including analysis-based profiling, to identify potential threats.”

Azamat Sabirbekov, Senior Analyst at the CARICC Information Analysis Unit, said: “The system of profiling allows the identification of potential risks in advance of the completion of the specific crime or violation of rights.”

The training seminar is a follow-up to earlier events held in Almaty, Karasu, Kazygurt and Petropavlovsk. It is part of the Office’s long-term effort aimed at enhancing the host country’s border security and management while countering transnational threats. The seminar will be followed by a roundtable discussion on 15 October 2016 to review the results of the training series and ways to further incorporate the training into the activities of the Border Service.