Training on drug trafficking in airports

The International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP) organised the course ‘Detection and control of airline passengers and cargo in drug trafficking cases‘ in Peru as part of the project entitled ‘Fight against organised crime and drug trafficking in Peru, which was financed by the European Commission and managed by the Foundation.

The course was held in Cusco and Iquitos, two popular tourist destinations located near cocaine producing regions and which have a high volume of passenger traffic.

The purpose of the training, which was mainly practical, was to transmit to the students basic and advanced aspects in the fight against drug trafficking in airports. These include, for example, the methodology to be followed for identifying passengers who fit a risk profile, locating suspicious cargo shipments, the geopolitics of fraud at the local level, and information sources that can be consulted to locate people or shipments linked to criminal activities.

The course involved joint work with Peru’s police, customs and public prosecutor’s office to achieve greater effectiveness and coordination in the activities, with an emphasis on the need for the exchange of relevant information between the different institutions working to fight illicit drug trafficking in airports. Work was also done with the airlines, an important actor in terms of obtaining information that can lead to the dismantling of criminal networks.

In addition, in the interest of sustainability, the importance of passing on the knowledge and methodologies acquired in the course to their subordinates was stressed to the students.

These types of courses are not only useful for the seizure of drug shipments in airports but also for fighting paedophile networks and trade in exotic animals.