OSCE supports Moldovan, Romanian and Ukrainian officers in detecting firearms and drugs concealed in vehicles

On 12 and 13 October 2026, the OSCE brought together 30 border guards and other law enforcement officers from Moldova, Romania and Ukraine at a regional workshop in Chișinău, Moldova, to strengthen their ability to detect firearms and drugs concealed in vehicles.

The workshop was jointly organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department’s Strategic Police Matters Unit and the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre/Forum for Security Co-operation, in co-operation with Frontex, the Belgian Federal Police and other international partners.

Hosted by Moldova’s General Police Inspectorate, the workshop provided officers conducting first- and second-line vehicle inspections with practical methods for concealed goods detection, document findings and identifying concealment methods. Participants examined trafficking trends in Eastern Europe, indicators of hidden compartments and electronically operated concealments in vehicles, including heavy goods vehicles.

Operational case studies and practical exercises enabled officers to compare inspection methods and learn from their neighbours’ experiences. Participants also observed how VIKEN portable X-ray scanners donated by the OSCE can support the detection of illicit goods concealed in vehicles. Canine teams, using equipment also donated by the OSCE, demonstrated their role in vehicle inspections, highlighting how detection technology and canine capabilities can complement each other.

“The practical exercises helped us connect concealment indicators with the inspection tools donated by the OSCE,” said Vadim Palii from the General Inspectorate of Border Police of Moldova. “Working through cases with Romanian and Ukrainian colleagues also helped us understand how sharing observations across borders can support the detection of trafficking attempts.”

The workshop also explored information-sharing mechanisms within a broader expert network and contributed to activities under the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats addressing firearms and drug trafficking.

“Comparing operational cases with colleagues from Moldova and Ukraine gave us a better understanding of the concealment methods we may encounter,” said Alin-Gheorghe Hutu from the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Border Police. “The workshop strengthened our inspection skills and established professional contacts that can make cross-border co-operation more impactful and expedient.”

“Working through practical cases with colleagues from Moldova and Romania challenged us to look beyond the concealment methods we already know,” said Denys Pysarenko from the Customs Service of Ukraine. “I will take these lessons back to my unit and maintain the contacts established here, so that experience gained in one country can help officers in another detect a similar threat.”

By combining practical skills with stronger professional contacts, the workshop supported closer regional and interagency co-operation to detect trafficking attempts and respond to shared security threats.

The workshop was organized within the framework of two OSCE extrabudgetary projects: “Support to the Law Enforcement Agencies in Moldova in Response to the Security Challenges in the Region” and “In Support of Strengthening Capacities of Ukrainian Authorities in Preventing and Combating Illicit Trafficking in Weapons, Ammunition and Explosives in all its Aspects”.