Male, Maldives/09 July 2025: Capacity building plays a crucial role in enhancing national responses to drugs and crime, especially in regions vulnerable to transnational threats. For frontline customs officers, specialized training is essential to identify, assess, and intercept contraband. Through targeted technical support, UNODC and partner governments are equipping enforcement personnel with critical knowledge and tools that contribute to broader security and governance goals.
At the Velana International Airport in the Maldives, an intensive nine-day Operational Readiness Preparation training equipped 15 customs officers with hands-on, real-time skills and daily operational mentoring to the Airport Control Unit (ACU), focusing on the interdiction of high-risk air cargo. The initiative was held under the UNODC Passenger and Cargo Control Programme (PCCP) with support of the US Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and the US Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) Program.
Building on previous foundational and specialized modules delivered since 2023, this phase concentrated on practical applications of strategic trade and export control, insider threat detection, and X-ray image analysis. UNODC also supported the ACU with critical tools such as TruNarc narcotics analyzers, drug and precursor testing kits, and upgraded IT infrastructure, ensuring officers are fully equipped to detect illicit shipments.
The results are already visible. In June 2025, the Maldives Customs Service successfully seized 18.62 kilograms of cannabinoids, valued at over USD 1.6 million, based on a targeted risk assessment conducted by the ACU. This achievement demonstrates the tangible impact of sustained capacity-building efforts.
“Under the PCCP, we have received technical assistance in terms of trainings, required tools and equipment. Establishing the ACU at the Air Cargo Operations of Velana International Airport has been one of the significant milestones in enhancing our capabilities especially in our efforts towards fight against smuggling of narcotics. The recent successful seizure was a significant achievement of the ACU. We assure you that our persistent efforts in this regard will continue,” said Ms. Fathimath Dhiyana, Commissioner General of Maldives Customs Service.
The training forms part of a broader implementation roadmap for 2025, including an upcoming anti-smuggling workshop in August and the scheduled handover of a new FTIR chemical analyzer. Together, these interventions reinforce the Maldives’ commitment to secure, efficient, and lawfully governed borders.
This activity contributed to SDG 16 and SDG 17: https://sdg-tracker.org/
(Supported by US Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and US Export Control and Related Border Security Program)
