CSTO summarizes results of operation Channel-Second Barrier

A sub-regional anti-drug operation Channel-Second Barrier was conducted on May 23–27, 2022 in the CSTO format to implement the proposals made at the special meeting of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization of August 23, 2021 to combat the transit of drugs from Afghanistan along the “Northern route,” eliminate sources of drug raw materials, close drug smuggling channels, suppress the activities of transnational drug smuggling groups and underground laboratories, undermine the economic basis of drug trafficking, including the legalization of drug proceeds, reveal facts of financing terrorism and terrorist organizations using proceeds of drug trafficking, as well as seize weapons, ammunition and explosives. This is reported by the website of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
During this period, the Kyrgyz Ministry of Internal Affairs deployed the International Coordination Staff (ICS) in the city of Osh. Its operations involve representatives of competent authorities of the CSTO Member States and observers from the UNODC, SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, OSCE, sectoral cooperation bodies of customs services and internal affairs bodies of the CIS Member Nations and the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism.
The ICS ensured coordination between national staffs and prompt exchange of relevant information.
Officers from the competent authorities of the CSTO Member States seconded to the ICS together with observers visited the Jalal-Abad and Batken regions to learn about the work of mobile groups and temporary checkpoints set up as part of the operation Channel-Second Barrier in the most dangerous areas in terms of drug trafficking.
Security of personnel combating drug business was provided by the Shumkar special operations regiment of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is part of the special operations force of the CSTO Collective Rapid Response Force.
Participants of the ICS and representatives of law enforcement agencies of the Kyrgyz Republic exchanged experience in identifying new methods of concealing drugs in freight and vehicles, routes of illegal transporting of regulated drugs, new methods of counteraction to the spread of drugs, the use of sniffer dogs and special equipment.
In the course of the operation, the controlled delivery method was actively used.
The law enforcement agencies of the CSTO Member States implemented comprehensive measures to prevent drug traffickers from using modern information communication technologies in the interests of the drug business.
On May 27 in Osh, Ulanbek Sultanov, Chief of Service for Combating Illicit Drug Trafficking of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, participated in a meeting of the ICS to summarize the preliminary results of the joint actions to perform the operation Channel-Second Barrier.
In total, the operation involved more than 11 thousand officers and servicemen of the bodies of internal affairs, drug control, special services and customs. They seized 274 kg of narcotic drugs, psychotropic and potent substances, 51 firearms and 2,836 pieces of ammunition, including hand grenades; identified and eliminated 3 drug labs; opened 389 criminal cases related to illicit drug trafficking, including cases against 28 criminal drug groups and 21 cases of drug compound smuggling; detained 50 persons wanted for committing crimes of drug trafficking; and detected 306 websites disseminating illegal information on drugs.
As early as this year, the next active stages of the CSTO regional anti-drug operation Kanal (“Channel”) will be planned and carried out based on the experience gained during the operation Channel-Second Barrier.