Kabul, Afghanistan: On 14th April 2021, ICMPD presented the General Abdul Raziq National Police Academy (ANPA) with Document Security training materials including reference books and electronic magnifiers. These materials are fundamental to delivering high-quality and practical training on document security by ANPA to Afghan Border Police officers.

The training materials were officially received by Major General Mohammad Farid Afzali, General Commander of ANPA, who thanked ICMPD and the European Union for their generous support to ANPA. Training on document security requires a high-level of practicality to allow learners to handle and examine real and fraudulent samples of documents and related security features as they would in an operational setting. The training materials provided to ANPA will ensure that practical exercises can be integrated within future training, and were delivered on the back of an ICMPD programme of basic document security training to 93 Afghan Border Police officers based at different border-crossing points across the country.

The senior leadership team of ANPA was present at the handover ceremony, including the Commander and Deputy Civilian Commander, the Directors of Teaching and Administration, and the head and instructors of the ANPA Border Management Faculty. The Director of Teaching mentioned that, besides the border management faculty, the books and magnifiers will also be used in various faculties of ANPA where criminal techniques or organised crimes subjects are taught, adding more value to the teaching approach, benefitting both instructors and cadets alike.

The fraudulent use of identity and travel documents represents a threat to the security of countries and their citizens, the economy, and global commerce, as it facilitates a wide range of cross border crimes and terrorism.

The training materials and related document security training was delivered within the framework of the IBM Silk Routes, an ICMPD implemented project, funded by the European Union, which aims to support the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in effectively and efficiently managing its national frontiers.