From 25 to 26 March 2025, Bucharest hosted a training visit for representatives of law enforcement agencies of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, organized by the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police (I.G.P.R.) under the auspices of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The theme of the event was the fight against illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons (SALW), according to the Office of Communications and Information Technology of the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police.
The purpose of the event was to strengthen regional cooperation and exchange experience in countering illicit trafficking in SALW. The participants of the visit got acquainted with the activities of the National Firearms Focal Point (NFFP) and gained the expertise necessary to create similar structures in their countries.
The visit began at the headquarters of the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police. I.G.P.R. representatives presented the legal framework (national and international), the structure and functions of NFFP, working procedures, as well as practical aspects of the center’s functioning. The concept of tracking the movement of firearms, lessons learned and best practices, as well as the experience of international police cooperation in this area were presented.
The Romanian National Forensics Institute organized lectures on the application of forensic methods and technical means in the investigation of illicit trafficking in SALW. The participants also visited the Institute’s headquarters, where they got acquainted with practical methods for identifying artisanal and modified weapons, restoring erased markings and using specialized forensic tools.
In addition, representatives of the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (D.I.I.C.O.T.) shared their experience of legal cooperation in the investigation of crimes related to organized crime and terrorism, including the use of mechanisms for international judicial cooperation.
On 26 March, the visit continued at the headquarters of SELEC (Southeast European Law Enforcement Center). The visit provided participants with a comprehensive overview of SELEC’s mission, structure, operational mechanisms, and capabilities in combating transnational crime, including serious and organized crime in the region.
The event was organized with the specialized support of the General Directorate for European Affairs, Schengen and International Relations of the Romanian Ministry of the Interior and funded by the Government of Germany. ///nCa, 7 April 2025