The third WCO COPES Project Regional Seminar was held at the Santo Domingo Regional Training Centre (RTC) in the Dominican Republic from 9 to 11 February 2016.

The event was organized in partnership with the UNODC-WCO Container Control Programme (CCP), the RTC, and the Dominican Republic Directorate General of Customs.

Mr. Raphaël Carvajal, representing the Dominican Republic Director General of Customs, opened the Seminar, to which Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Panama had been invited as part of the COPES Project. Given the synergy between this Project and the CCP, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Jamaica, Paraguay and Suriname were also invited to participate.

The new training on the importance of evidence collection for investigation and prosecution purposes, delivered simultaneously in English and Spanish, was very well received by participants, whether managers or field officers. It also became clear that the new COPES training is a very valuable addition to that provided within the framework of the CCP and focusing more heavily on detection.

At the closing ceremony, Mr. Carvajal expressed his satisfaction as to the content of this training and encouraged its roll out. He concluded by stressing his interest in combating both transnational organized crime and terrorism.

For more information please contact Mr. Gilles Thomas, WCO COPES Project Coordinator, at the following e-mail address: Gilles.Thomas@wcoomd.org