GRIDS holds the 2 nd regional expert group meeting on the exploitation of Latin American and Caribbean e-commerce platforms for marketing and sale of dangerous substances
14 June 2023 Mexico City, Mexico - The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme successfully concluded a three-day stakeholder expert group meeting focused on addressing the exploitation of Latin American and Caribbean e-commerce platforms for the marketing and sales of dangerous substances, which took place 12-14 June in Mexico City.
Following the success of the first expert group meeting held in January 2021, this event brough together 29 stakeholders, including representatives from governments, international organizations, regional industry associations, and leading private sector companies. The aim was to engage stakeholders in discussions regarding the current regional trafficking trends of synthetic drugs, fentanyls and related chemicals, challenges confronting e-commerce platforms targeted and promising practices to prevent future exploitation by traffickers.
In his opening remarks, INCB Project ION Manager, Mr. Fumio Ito, highlighted " The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the already challenging scenario. E-commerce marketplaces have been among the most frequently misused. Those who aim to sell NPS, non-medical synthetic opioids and their related precursors, post offers of their products on e-commerce marketplaces." Ito stated, knowledge sharing about regional trends, patterns and lessons learned are paramount to interdict the marketing, and movement of synthetic opioids, fentanyls, and related dangerous substances through e-commerce platforms before they reach unsuspecting consumers across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Participants emphasized the challenges associated with the continually evolving modus operandi of criminal networks and the exploitation of e-commerce platform companies for the illicit trafficking of dangerous synthetic substances with no known legitimate uses . Moreover, they deliberated on the necessary steps to promote voluntary cooperation between governments and their private sector partners, highlighting promising practices in use by governments and industry. Facilitating networking opportunities among relevant experts and practitioners was recognized as a crucial strategy to enhance collaborative efforts.
Photo: INCB programme expert discussing exploitation of Latin American platforms by traffickers of synthetic opioids
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 at the source.
This event was made possible through generous support the generous support of the United States Department of State Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL).
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