Strengthening regional and international cooperation in Central America: INCB-GRIDS' first twinning mission for El Salvador, Guatemala, and Panama officers
From 17 to 20 October 2023, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), under the purview of the Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme, organized the first twinning mission for Central American officers in Panama City. This event was hosted in collaboration with the WCO Central America RILO office and the Panama customs.
The activity, conducted in person, witnessed the participation of twenty-two (22) officers from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Panama customs and police, including the officers representing the UNODC Container Control Program (CCP). The training event also welcomed esteemed representatives from the United States International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) office in Guatemala.
The opening ceremony presided over by Gabriel Alberto Tuñon de Leon, representative of the Panama Customs, Walter Leonel Zuleta Davial, representative of the WCO Central America RILO office, and Marzia Deflorian, the INCB's Regional Technical officer for the LAC region, set the stage for a series of informative sessions. The speakers underscored the pivotal role played by regional and international cooperation and the intelligence-sharing tools developed through the INCB's GRIDS programme to reduce the trafficking of NPS, non-medical-synthetic opioids, and other dangerous substances.
Throughout the training, participants gained a comprehensive understanding of the GRIDS programme, including its strategic initiatives designed to address the ever-evolving drug trafficking landscape. This shifting terrain is increasingly exploited by criminals who leverage international logistics and service providers to traffic new psychotropic substances (NPS) and non-medical synthetic opioids. Representatives from the WCO Central America RILO office and the participating countries shared insights into current national and regional trends in drug trafficking, shedding light on recent major seizures where international cooperation played a pivotal role in dismantling manufacturing rings.
The participants gained hands-on experience with IONICS and GRIDS Intelligence HD, the two resources instrumental in supporting domestic and international trafficking investigations. The GRIDS Intelligence HD is a cutting-edge targeting tool that transforms IONICS information into actionable intelligence for daily operations and risk profiling. A practical exercise incorporating real-case information further encouraged participants to collaborate in a real-time scenario.
Photo: participants presenting national and regional trends and practical exercise
A dedicated session covered safe handling and the proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when dealing with opioids and other hazardous materials, reinforcing the importance of adhering to fundamental protective measures. This training event proved to be a crucial endeavor in the ongoing fight against the drug trade and its associated challenges.
On Day 3, the officers visited the Balboa port and the DHL Regional Hub at Tocumen International Airport to learn security and interdicting strategies and procedures implemented by Panama customs and police officers and DHL security units.
Photo: Field visits to the Balboa port and the DHL Regional HUB at Tocumen International Airport
PPE kits and training materials were handed over to each agency to support their daily work to stop trafficking of these substances as well as to deliver training to their colleagues.
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 the 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