Mongolia uses UN Passenger Data system to identify smuggling, drug trafficking and other border threats

Mongolia’s Passenger Information Unit helped authorities identify suspected smuggling, drug trafficking, money laundering and terrorist financing activity in 2026 as the country expanded its use of passenger data to identify potential threats before travelers reach its borders.

Authorities reported detecting attempted illegal cross-border smuggling valued at approximately MNT 700 billion, or around $200 million, across Mongolia’s border points. The Passenger Information Unit (PIU) also helped identify approximately $10 million in undeclared cash and eight individuals wanted under INTERPOL notices, whose cases were referred to the relevant authorities.

In two separate cases, authorities intercepted over 446 grams of methamphetamine being smuggled into Mongolia. The PIU also supported the identification of attempts to bring unregistered and prohibited medicines into the country concealed in passengers’ carry-on luggage and helped authorities identify a fugitive who had been wanted for 30 years.

The unit was established in December 2023 with support from the United Nations Countering Terrorist Travel Programme.

At the center of Mongolia’s system is the UN-developed goTravel software, which allows the PIU to receive and analyze passenger information supplied by airlines before international flights arrive.

Authorities can use travel routes, patterns and other risk indicators to identify potentially high-risk travelers in advance, while passenger information can also be compared against national and international watchlists. The system facilitates information-sharing among relevant government agencies.

The PIU currently receives passenger data from seven airlines representing around 90% of Mongolia’s international commercial air traffic.

Before the system was introduced, Mongolia used passenger data in a more limited and largely manual process. Automating the collection and analysis of that information allows analysts to spend more time assessing potential risks.

Colonel Adiyajav Enkhtur, Head of Mongolia’s Passenger Information Unit, said the approach is intended to focus resources on potential risks rather than subjecting every traveler to additional checks.

“The primary objective of the Mongolian PIU is not to subject all passengers to additional scrutiny, but rather to identify high-risk passengers in advance through intelligence-led risk assessment and to effectively support the operations of competent and law enforcement authorities,” Enkhtur said.

“API and PNR data enables low-risk passengers to move through border controls quickly and seamlessly, enhancing overall efficiency.”

Mongolia’s PIU operates under safeguards covering privacy, data security and human rights. Access to passenger information is restricted to authorized personnel, records are maintained showing how information is accessed and used, and passenger data can only be processed for specified legal purposes.

Mongolia joined the UN Countering Terrorist Travel Programme in 2020. With support from UN partners, the country subsequently developed legislation governing airline passenger data, established the PIU and deployed the goTravel system.

Mongolia’s legal framework was adopted by Parliament in January 2023, followed by the formal inauguration of the PIU in December of that year. The goTravel system became fully operational in January 2025.

The UN programme has also provided training covering passenger data analysis, risk assessment, privacy protections and use of the goTravel platform. Mongolia is now one of seven beneficiary countries operating the UN-developed system.

Led by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, the Countering Terrorist Travel Programme assists Member States with using Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record data to detect and prevent terrorism and other serious crimes while maintaining human rights and data protection standards.

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