INCB raises awareness of dangerous substances and strengthens intelligence-sharing capacity in the Dominican Republic
November 9, 2022, Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) - The International Narcotics Control Board's (INCB) Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substance (GRIDS) programme conducted a training covering awareness raising, safe interdiction and information exchange through INCB global communication systems on new psychotropic substances, synthetic opioids and other dangerous substances for Dominican Republic authorities.
The objective of the training was to strengthen the capacity of participating officials to identify and share relevant intelligence and techniques to detect, safely handle and interdict consignments of non-medical synthetic opioids and new psychoactive substances (NPS) for effective response to threats posed by these dangerous substances not under international control.
The event, organized on 7, 8 and 9 November, was attended by 17 officials from law enforcement and regulatory authorities, nominated by the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD), the National Customs Directorate, the National Institute of Forensic Sciences, and the Dominican Postal Institute (INPOSDOM). The workshop was inaugurated by Colonel Rafael Hubiera Peralta, Director of International Affairs of the DNCD, on behalf of the President of the DNCD.
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| Image: The opening of the workshop (left), DNCD presenting during the first day of training. | |
The Regional Technical Officer for Latin America and the Caribbean of the INCB GRIDS program, Ms. Marzia Deflorian, presented the latest trends in trafficking of dangerous substances, including new psychoactive substances, synthetic opioids and fentanyl. Participants received access to and training on the use of the Project ION Incident Communication System (IONICS) and the GRIDS Intelligence visualization tool, as well as information on the safe handling of opioids. During the first day of training the DNCD and Customs presented the structures of the agencies, the relationship and communication with other authorities in the Dominican Republic and abroad and mentioned the seizures and methods of concealment of dangerous substances found in the country in recent years.
The third day of the activity was dedicated to field visits, the first to the international airport "Las Americas" and the second to the National Institute of Forensic Sciences' laboratory.
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| Pictures: Field visits at the International Airport "Las Americas" (left), and at the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (right) | |
Heidy S. Gomez Guante, Head of the DNCD's Chemicals and Precursors Unit, commended the training saying that "it is very interesting to know the tools that the INCB has developed to connect all countries in terms of new psychoactive substances, which allows us not only to connect the cases where our country is involved, but also to know the global trends and the changes that occur every day in terms of these new drugs. We highlight the usefulness of the interface that analyzes all the data that is registered in IONICS, converting it into intelligence that saves time for the analyst, having more effectiveness in the investigations, GRIDS."
The Board's Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme and Project ION and OPIOIDS Project support Governments' capacity to respond to changing trafficking, illicit manufacture, marketing and sales of NPS, non-medical synthetic opioids and fentanyl-related substances by providing real-time communication, facilitating information exchange and intelligence development that interdict distribution of dangerous substances.
This event was organized in collaboration with DNCD and was made possible through generous support from the United States of America's Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
Click here to learn more about the GRIDS Programme
Click here to learn more about the OPIOIDS Project
Click here to learn more about the Project ION