On 4th September, 2018 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia representatives from the World Customs Organization’s Asia Pacific Security Project, which is funded by the Japanese Government, attended a handover and training session involving the donation of Raman Spectrometer devices.  These items were purchased from the Rigaku Corporation for the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) of Cambodia.  They will be used to detect and identify precursor chemicals used in the manufacture of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

In his opening remarks, Mr Nuon Chanrith, Deputy Director General of Enforcement for GDCE, thanked both the WCO and the Japanese Government for providing the equipment.  He stressed the importance of maintaining security at the border and of enhancing trade facilitation and expressed his belief that the equipment provided would be able to assist in both those aims.

A full day of training was then provided by the Asia Pacific Security Project and representatives of Rigaku Corporation for twenty front line officers of the GDCE prior to the equipment’s deployment to various operational locations.