THIRTY government checkpoint officials have received training on how to identify materials used in the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) during a three-day workshop that started on Wednesday as part of a bid to help block the proliferation of such weapons.

The seminar, supported by the US Department of Energy, was attended by trainees from the ministries of Defense, Interior, Economy and Finance, as well as customs officials from airports and seaports across the country.

Deputy Prime Minister Keat Chhon told attendees that the workshop could increase knowledge for checkpoint officials engaged in identifying the illicit import or export of material used to create WMDs.

“In aiming to keep peace, political stability and social security for our people and for the world, we need to increase our ability, proficiency and cooperation to be accurate and not allow weapons of mass destruction to proliferate,” he said.

The Secretariat of the National Counterterrorism Committee has cooperated with the US government to install scanners at Sihanoukville port in order to detect radioactive materials, he said. More scanners would be provided to the General Department of Customs once those at

Sihanoukville port were fully operational.

Speaking at Wednesday’s workshop, US Ambassador Carol Rodley said that the private sector and government would continue to work together “to help identify sudden threats to international security, and to make sure that the threats are isolated”.