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Abdul is an Afghan policeman who fights narcotics crimes in northern Afghanistan. But here,
he's firing his weapon in St Petersburg, Russia. It's part of a training course where Russia
and Afghanistan's shared interest in countering the drugs trade come together.
"Today it was just initial training in firearms. We have seen that the initial training should
use these firearms because they give more complete information on the mistakes that
can be made in shooting." Together with 20 other Afghan police officers,
Abdul is here to learn more about shooting, forensic medicine and investigation techniques
thanks to this counter-narcotics training project sponsored by the NATO-Russia Council,
or NRC. Since 2006, Russian, Turkish and US training
centres have hosted and trained police officers from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia
through this NRC project. These officers are professionals, but they are eager to learn
new skills and methods for combating drugs. "In our future work, we should perform very
well because we have learnt a lot here. The teacher taught us recruitment skills, which
are useful. Now, when we recruit someone new, these lessons will help us to select the best
person. It was really useful". Members of the Russian Special Forces demonstrate
Russian weapons, which the Afghan officers compare with what they use in Afghanistan.
"Currently, some of the weapons we have in Afghanistan are Russian-made Kalashnikovs.
We also have Hungarian and Chinese weapons, and other weapons given to us by NATO forces.
We have Makarov pistols, Kalashnikovs, Dragunovs. All the weapons we have here, we also have
them in Afghanistan." The Afghans taking part concede they can't
use all the techniques learnt here for lack of equipment at home.
But the project helps improve cooperation and exchange of views among nations tackling
drugs trafficking, which is a major problem facing Russia and Central Asia.
This summer alone, Russian drug police seized and destroyed about a tonne of Afghan opiates,
according to the Federal Drug Control Service. "This is a real challenge for Europe, but
first of all for Russia, because Russia is a main corridor of narcotics traffic from
Central Asia to Europe. And it is perceived by Russian elites and Russian population as
one of the main challenges to Russian security". In the first six years since the project was
launched, over 120 training courses have taken place in Russia, Turkey and the United States
as well as in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asian countries.
Some 3,000 officers have been trained under the initiative to date - and they have passed
on the skills learned to many more. Once back in Afghanistan, Abdul and the others
will train their teams in turn.
This is a NATOChannel report.