OSCE concludes a refresher course for document security instructors

A five-day OSCE-supported refresher course for 20 border service’s document security instructors concluded in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 12 November 2021.

Border service officers of Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee participated in the three-stage series of training events aimed at developing officers’ instructors’ capacities in detecting falsified travel documents. Participants reviewed security features in paper, security printing techniques, polymer substrate, impostors’ identification techniques, and forgery cases. They learned about new trends in counterfeiting face recognition and photo comparison, and advanced their presentation techniques. Experts presented samples of real and forged travel documents for the participants to analyse and assess their authenticity.

During exercises, participants practiced different ways of forged or counterfeit passport detection using various identification techniques, risk profiling, and picture-to-picture comparison methods. Experts provided participants with illuminated magnifiers and USB-digital microscopes to allow the border control officers to practice skills. In addition to learning best practices in document verification, the future instructors received additional guidance and practiced their skills on how to teach these concepts to others.

This tailored training course was developed by the Austrian Interior Ministry. The event was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan in co-operation with the Border Guard Service under the National Security Committee. The training course was supported by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department’s Border Security and Management Unit.