Senior officials from several Turkmen law enforcement and border management agencies have completed a study tour to Thailand aimed at strengthening international cooperation against illicit drug trafficking and other forms of transnational crime.
The delegation included representatives of Turkmenistan’s State Drug Control Service, State Customs Service, State Migration Service and the Presidential Apparatus.
The mission was jointly organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Project Office in Turkmenistan and the UNODC Regional Centre for East Asia and the Pacific in Thailand.
The visit focused on practical mechanisms for cross-border cooperation, particularly the establishment and operation of Border Liaison Offices (BLOs), which facilitate direct communication and information exchange among law enforcement agencies operating at border crossings.
During the programme, Turkmen officials were introduced to the experience of Thailand and its regional partners in combating cross-border drug trafficking and other transnational crimes.
The UNODC Regional Centre for East Asia and the Pacific has extensive experience in promoting such cooperation through networks linking Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The centre has supported the establishment of approximately 70 Border Liaison Offices across the region, creating channels for real-time information sharing and coordinated law enforcement action.
According to the organizers, the study tour was designed to familiarize the Turkmen delegation with best practices in developing border cooperation mechanisms and implementing the BLO model between neighboring countries. Participants examined operational procedures, inter-agency coordination methods and approaches to intelligence exchange that have contributed to improved border security in Southeast Asia.
The initiative forms part of the UNODC project “Strengthening Turkmen-Afghan Border of Turkmenistan, Particularly Imam Nazar Checkpoint.” One of the project’s key objectives is to enhance cooperation between the border control agencies of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan and strengthen the capacity of frontline institutions responsible for combating drug trafficking and related cross-border crimes.
The study tour reflects broader UNODC efforts to strengthen regional cooperation and border management in Central Asia. In recent years, the organization has promoted the establishment of Border Liaison Offices throughout the region as a means of improving coordination among customs, border, migration and drug control authorities. These mechanisms are intended to facilitate rapid information exchange, joint responses to emerging threats and more effective disruption of trafficking networks operating across international borders.
Officials involved in the mission are expected to use the knowledge gained in Thailand to explore ways of further strengthening border cooperation arrangements between Turkmenistan and its neighboring countries, particularly in efforts to counter the movement of narcotics and other illicit goods. /// nCa, 24 June 2026