From 2 to 27 May, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Costa Rica and with the support of the Ministry of Public Security and the Costa Rican Post Office, is conducting the Course on Interception of Arms, Ammunition, Parts and Components (CIAMP), with the participation of 32 x-ray operators, 10 of them women.
This is the second edition of CIAMP in Costa Rica, this time in a hybrid format (with virtual and face-to-face sessions) bringing together officials from the Costa Rican Postal Service, the National Customs Service, the Penitentiary Police, the Airport Police, the Drug Control Police, the Border Police and the Air Surveillance Service.
In response to the challenges posed by trafficking of arms and ammunition in the region, a constantly evolving crime, UNLIREC seeks to contribute to the efforts of Costa Rica and all States in the region to combat and prevent the illicit trafficking of firearms, their parts, components, ammunition, and explosives that occurs through postal shipments, parcels, packages, and luggage. Notably, the CIAMP was developed as specialized training for X-ray operators responsible for control and inspection at strategic points.
During the training, participants are strengthening their skills identifying weapons, their parts, components, ammunition, and explosives, through a combination of theoretical and practical methodologies. The course includes practical training on a specialized virtual platform that allows participants to improve their ability to identify threats such as firearms, their parts and components, ammunition, and improvised explosive devices.
To enrich this training and promote knowledge exchange, participants from various national institutions will share their experiences in detecting firearms and ammunition using x-ray technology.
The Interdicting Small Arms, Ammunition, Parts and Components Course (CIAMP) is part of the technical assistance provided by UNLIREC under the project “Support to the Implementation of Subregional, Regional and Global Instruments and Frameworks related to Small Arms Control and Ammunition Management in Latin America and the Caribbean”, funded by the Federal Republic of Germany.