INCB Delivers Public - Private Partnerships Workshop in Viet Nam for Prevention of Dangerous Opioids Trafficking
Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, 2 August, 2023 - The International Narcotics Control Board's (INCBs) Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme organized a stakeholder workshop on public-private partnerships to stop emerging synthetic drug trafficking exploiting international mail, express mail and express courier services 1 - 2 August, 2023.
This was the first workshop under the framework of GRIDS Programme organized in Viet Nam to bring together related law enforcement agencies and enterprises to share information and discuss about potential for voluntary cooperation to counter trafficking in dangerous substances. It welcomed the participation of 12 representatives from the General Department of Viet Nam Customs, the Counter-Narcotic Police Department and nine representatives from five of the country's largest private sector companies.
Photo: Private sector experts workshopping INCB practical guidance for voluntary cooperation
Mr. Matthew Nice, the manager of the INCB GRIDS | OPIOIDS Project, led the interactive workshop using INCB's practical guidance for voluntary cooperation with the express courier industry. The recently released guidance series is based on numerous technical recommendations from hundreds of government officials and industry experts from events convened by INCB since 2018. The practical guidance offers promising practices and a self-assessment that builds voluntary cooperation between public and private sectors to prevent exploitation of legitimate services by traffickers of dangerous synthetic drugs and related chemicals.
Photo: INCB's practical guidance for voluntary cooperation with the express courier industry, in Vietnamese and English
Mr. Long Nguyen, the GRIDS Regional Technical Officer for East Asia and the Pacific presented the latest global and regional trafficking trends of dangerous substances, including NPS, synthetic opioids, and related chemicals. Participants also exchanged regional and national trends, discussed trafficking modi operandi and Government and industry challenges encountered in interdicting consignments. Following the workshop, experts received a tour of air cargo and express courier operations at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City.
Photo: Meeting with Customs Sub-Department of Express consignment (left) and express courier operations site visit (right)
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.
These events were made possible through generous support from the United States Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL).
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