OSCE completes training course for dog handlers in Uzbekistan

On September 26, the OSCE Secretariat Transnational Threats Department, in collaboration with the British Surrey Police Dog Training Centre, completed a month-long training for the National Canine (K9) Training Center under the Customs Committee of Uzbekistan. The course aims to strengthen the capacity of Uzbek K9 instructors to effectively use dogs to counter transnational threats through better detection of drugs, cash and firearms at border checkpoints.

Four instructors from the National K9 Training Center under the Customs Committee of Uzbekistan completed more than 130 hours of theoretical and practical sessions delivered by their colleagues from the Surrey Police Dog Training Center. The sessions include advanced guide dog techniques and methods in accordance with British standards and efficient practices.

During the graduation ceremony, Uzbek K9 instructors and their service dogs demonstrated their skills in searching for drugs, cash and firearms.

Once back in Uzbekistan, the instructors will integrate the newly acquired methodologies and skills into the Customs Commission’s dog training programs.

“I would like to express my appreciation to the OSCE and the Surrey Police Training Center for the course. I believe that we will continue our cooperation in this area. We will also look for opportunities for cooperation in the development and breeding programs of service dogs,” said Farrukh Kakhkhorov, director of the National K9 Training Center.

“It was a pleasure to be involved in the training of service dogs and instructors from Uzbekistan. The dog instructors came with a wealth of experience which has been further developed during this OSCE supported course,” said Jim Lyon, Senior Instructor at Surrey Police Dog Training Centre.

“As a result of the support provided, we have added four new service dogs to the strength of the Customs Committee of Uzbekistan. This continuous professional development will have an impact on strengthening border security at border checkpoints,” said Albina Yakubova, project officer of the OSCE Border Security and Management Unit.

The activity is part of the OSCE project “Strengthening the resilience of Uzbekistan to address cross-border challenges from Afghanistan”, funded by Germany, Sweden and the United States and based on the Memorandum of Understanding between the OSCE Secretariat and the Office of the UN. Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey, on cooperation in the prevention and control of illicit small arms and light weapons, stockpiles of conventional ammunition and explosives, signed in 2024.