US EMBASSY HOLDS DRUG-DETECTION SEMINAR FOR UZBEK CUSTOMS

TASHKENT.During a ceremony today, crtificates were presented to the
participants in a two-week seminar on ways to detect smuggled drugs,
representatives from [Uzbek] border guard and customs services.

The US embassy in Uzbekistan and experts from the US Customs Service
have helped conduct the seminar. The trainees, Uzbek border guards and
customs officers, attended course on drug routes, illegal circulation
of narcotics, detecting various kinds of substances, methods of
detecting drug couriers and on many other issues.

The main aim of the seminar was to establish how to detect narcotics
at border areas and airports, says the instructor, (Leo Morris). The
participants used their learning in practice at the Ghisht-Koprik
customs check point, which comes under the Tashkent Regional
Directorate of the State Customs Committee, and at the Tashkent-Aero
specialized customs complex at Tashkent airport.

The USA has provided aid worth a total of 2n dollars since cooperation
between Uzbek and US services started in 1998.

The US ambassador to Uzbekistan, John Herbst, said that such joint
seminars would help to improve the work of the customs agencies. We
are planning to hold the next training course in October 2001, Mr
Herbst said.