Container control training in Peruvian ports

The “EU Law Enforcement Support in the Fight Against Drugs And Organised Crime in Peru” project, which is managed by FIIAPP and has European funding, was created to improve the effectiveness of anti-drug and organised crime policies in Peru.

The project provided two workshops to train the Peruvian National Police, Public Ministry and Judiciary in the inspection, control and detection of containers posing a potential or actual risk in Peruvian ports. This activity was designed to provide security operators with the necessary skills and knowledge to combat different forms of crime.

The expected result of this project is an improvement in the organisation and interoperability of the main bodies carrying out criminal investigations. In the field of container control, interoperability is an essential factor, since distribution and coordination between the many actors involved is necessary to achieve greater efficiency.For example, in many port areas, Port Control Units (PCUs) made up of analysts, that is, personnel in charge of inspecting containers have been created, supported by all the members of the administrations with an interest in maritime transport.

The theoretical-practical workshop, carried out remotely due to COVID-19, used a “mirror” methodology to demonstrate instruments to diagnose the current situation in Peruvian ports, identifying weaknesses, shortcomings and problems in the current system and facilitating the development of future protocols for action and coordination of all services.

Ultimately, this training has shown that, with better knowledge of documentation-checking and control techniques, together with support from analysts and streamlined information exchange, they will improve the inspection procedure for high-risk containers. Through inspections that can be carried out methodically and almost without interfering with legal trade.