Albanian State Police Border and Migration Department drafted Standard Operating Procedures for countering illicit arms trafficking and possession

19-22 October 2020

UNDP SEESAC organized a four-day workshop to support the Albanian State Police Border and Migration Department in drafting Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for countering illicit arms trafficking and possession. During the workshop, representatives of the Border and Migration Police at the central, regional and local level worked together with SEESAC border control experts on topics related to risk analysis and tracing weapons,  as well as on cooperation between the Border and Migration Police and other police branches, data collection and conducting investigations. As a result, they developed draft SOPs for the first- and second-line border control for the detection of firearms and explosives (FAE) at border crossing points (BCPs), as well as procedures concerning the detection of FAE posing substantial security and safety threats and other emergency situations at BCPs. This activity is funded through EU Council Decision (CFSP) 2019/2111 in support of SEESAC disarmament and arms control activities in South East Europe reducing the threat of illicit small arms and light weapons and their ammunition.

Development of SOPs specifically addressing illicit trafficking and possession of firearms for the Border and Migration Police was one of the recommendations of the Needs Assessment Report carried out after a detailed needs assessment of the Albanian State Police capacities for countering illicit arms trafficking. The activity was implemented through EU Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/1788 and the report was endorsed by the local authorities.