A three-day meeting of capital police chiefs from CIS member nations is concluding in Dushanbe today.  Participants are discussing measures to counter illegal migration, arms trafficking, terrorism and extremism, as well as drug trafficking and the prevention of such crimes.

Shohrukh Saidzoda, the newly appointed head of the Dushanbe Police Directorate, speaking at the meeting, highlighted that “the practice of holding such meetings is a clear indication that we share an understanding of the need to establish trustful relationships for the effective use of resources and countering crime in all its forms.”

The Tajik Minister of Internal Affairs, Ramazon Rahimzoda, delivered a statement at the meeting on July 11.  He, in particular, noted that this is the fourth time the meeting has been held in this format.  He stated that "the current meeting will make a significant contribution to the fight against crime and give new impetus to the cooperation between the internal affairs bodies of the CIS member nations, strengthening the interaction between the capital's units in the main areas of operational and service activities. This will allow us to unite."

The state-run news agency Khovar says the minister emphasized that Tajikistan supports “reasonable and constructive initiatives and actions in the fight against terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and other serious crimes."

Rahimzoda reportedly identified cybercrime, cyberterrorism, internal regional and local armed conflicts, the exacerbation of national and international relations, mass immigration, and political manipulations in matters of peace and security in certain regions as threats to national security under current conditions.  He reported that Tajikistan seized five tons of narcotic drugs in 2022, and more than eight tons of narcotic drugs in 2023 and the first five months of this year.

Speaking at the event, Oleg Konovalov, Head of the Bureau to Coordinate the Fight against Organized Crime and Other Dangerous Types of Crimes in the Territory of the CIS, noted that “the contactless method of drug distribution is gaining momentum, using controlled messengers, and payment for criminal services with electronic money.”

Polisia.kz reports that Murat Tulebayev, Head of the Astana Police Department, spoke about the current problems of countering drug crime in modern conditions.  “The current situation requires expanding and deepening our interaction.  Taking into account the specifics of the legislation of each of our countries' law enforcement systems, we need to establish closer working contacts and increase the efficiency of joint counteraction to drug crime.  I believe today's meeting will allow us to understand the existing problems more deeply, share positive experiences, and outline ways for further development," Tulebayev was quoted as saying.

Delegations of the interior ministries from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, as well as the Bureau to  Coordinate the Fight against Organized Crime, are participating in the event.

This format of meetings, the conference of capital police chiefs of from CIS member nations, was introduced in 2021 by the CIS Council of Interior Ministers to strengthen dialogue and expand the exchange of experiences on crime issues.