Series of Capacity Building Trainings in Southeast Asia to Strengthen Information Exchange and Prevent Trafficking of Dangerous Substances
Southeast Asia, March 2023 - The International Narcotics Control Board's (INCBs) Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme conducted series of trainings on new psychotropic substances (NPS), synthetic opioids and other dangerous substances to strengthen practical information exchange using INCB's communication tools for frontline officers based in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and other Mekong countries. These training events brought together 85 officers from different drug law enforcement and regulatory agencies from each country.
INCB provided region-specific intelligence on the trafficking of dangerous substances, including NPS and synthetic opioids. INCB experts located in Vienna and in Southeast Asia trained these officers on the effective use of the Project ION Incident Communication System (IONICS) and the GRIDS Intelligence HD tool to support domestic and international trafficking investigations.
Representatives of each country provided an update on novel trends and challenges related combatting drug trafficking in their regions, which highlighted the importance of international cooperation.
Using INCB's rapid training tablets, officers had access to IONICS and GRIDS Intelligence HD which is a state-of-the-art targeting tool that transforms IONICS information into actionable intelligence for use in daily operations and risk profiling.
Photo: Monica Paulo de Souza, Federal Police forensic expert, briefing participants on seizures of NPS and synthetic opioids in Brazil
In his opening remarks, Mr. Fumio Ito, Project ION Manager, emphasizing the importance of interagency cooperation and information exchange, stating that, "given the emergence of new psychotropic substances in the region, particularly ketamine and synthetic cannabinoids, the training course is aimed to support drug law enforcement and regulatory officers in the region to better communicate and share information with a view to stopping illicit trafficking of new psychoactive substances, non-scheduled synthetic opioids and other dangerous substances."
Photo: Officers apply theory with practical exercises for safe interdiction for intelligence purposes from suspicious shipments
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 made possible through generous support the generous support from the Government of Japan
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Click here to learn more about the OPIOIDS Project
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