Laboratory Set-up Completed at Kabul Airport

In February 2005, a technical delegation from the Australian Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) visited Kabul to complete the set-up of the document examination laboratory at the Kabul International Airport.

The laboratory was initially set up and formally opened in April of last year during another Australia delegation visit to Kabul.  Rooms at the airport were refurbished by a local contractor and used to house the laboratory.  Various document examination and computer equipment was installed in the laboratory.  Two Australian document examiners delivered 3 days of training to nine officers from the Afghan Criminal Investigations Department and Border Police on how to use the equipment to check the authenticity of travel documents. 

In February 2005, to complete the set-up of the laboratory, more
sophisticated document examination equipment was installed.  Two
Australian document examiners provided 3 days training on the new
equipment, as well as refresher training, to the same group of officers who had been trained in April 2004.

The document examination laboratory has only been operating for less than one year, but has already proven to be a great aid to Afghan border officials in the identification of fraudulent travel documents.  It was reported that to date the laboratory has facilitated the identification of approximately 87 fraudulent passports presented at Kabul International Airport.  Staff working in the laboratory has also established their own information systems to further assist in the identification of fraudulent travel documents.

All of the officials who participated in the training courses will
receive a certificate from DIMIA in recognition of the excellent skills
that they have developed in document examination.

During DIMIA's recent visit, several senior officials from the
Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs formally expressed thanks to the Australian Government for their sponsorship of the laboratory. 

The laboratory has been a key part of the Afghan Technical Cooperation Project, a program of initiatives designed to strengthen Afghanistan's migration and border systems and implemented through the cooperative efforts of DIMIA and Afghan officials.