From 6-10 September 2021, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) delivered its Interdicting Small Arms, Ammunition, Parts and Components (ISAAPC) course in virtual modality to close to 20 law enforcement officials from the St. Kitts and Nevis Customs and Excise Department, Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force and St. Kitts and Nevis Defence Force.
The ISAAPC course forms part of the technical assistance provided by UNLIREC within its ‘Combating of illicit Firearms and Ammunition Trafficking in the Caribbean’ project. The specialized course aims to strengthen the capacities of States to combat and prevent the illicit trafficking of small arms, ammunition and explosives that is occurring through postal shipments, packages, parcels and luggage at entry, exit, and transit points in the country.
Based on a theoretical-practical methodology, the participants received specialized training on the fundamental aspects of X-ray technology, technical specifications of small arms, their parts and components, ammunition, explosives, and less lethal weapons. The course also included an interactive session on concealment methods being employed by traffickers in the region. Furthermore, participants received practical training on an X-ray simulation program developed by the Centre for Adaptive Security Research and Applications (CASRA), thereby enhancing and developing their capacities to detect illicit trafficking through X-ray scanners.
This specialized course, developed in line with 2001 UN Porgramme of Action on Small Arms, Arms Trade Treaty and Sustainable Development Goal 16.4, contributes towards regional efforts to prevent illicit trafficking of firearms and ammunition, thereby reducing firearms-related crimes and armed violence in the Caribbean.
The implementation of the ISAAPC course was made possible thanks to the financial support from the United States of America.