Ghanaian Law Enforcement and Regulatory Officers Received Capacity Building Training to Effectively Counter NPS and Opioids Trafficking
14 June 2022, Accra - The International Narcotic Control Board's (INCB) Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme conducted a training with Ghanaian officers to counter the trafficking of new psychotropic substances (NPS), synthetic opioids and other dangerous substances in the region. The training focused on approaches and tools to enhance the regional and global exchange of information and intelligence-led targeting, as well as hands-on training for the protection of frontline officers and detection of dangerous synthetic opioids in the field. This was the second of the two consecutive trainings organized by the GRIDS programme in Western Africa.
The 2-day training held from 13-14 June 2022 brought together 17 frontline officers from the Ghanaian Narcotics Control Commission (NCC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On the first day, representatives from the two agencies briefed the participants on the latest trends, modus operandi and methods of concealment used by traffickers of NPS, synthetic opioids and other dangerous substances in Ghana. They also presented an ongoing investigation initiated from an incident communicated through the Project ION Incident Communication System (IONICS), the INCB's proprietary web-based secure system for information sharing, as well as recent seizures involving some exporters previously identified in IONICS. The GRIDS team then provided region-specific intelligence on the trafficking of NPS such as Khat leaves and tramadol, and trained officers on the effective use of IONICS and the GRIDS Intelligence tool to support domestic and international investigations.
Photo: A participant uses INCB's rapid training tablets to search for and enter real cases of NPS trafficking into the IONICS platform
The second day was focused on awareness raising and hands-on training to protect frontline officers from exposure to dangerous synthetic opioids. Supported by a participant, who agreed to a model for other participants, the GRIDS team trainers led live demonstrations on how to use personal protective equipment (PPE) and a rapid drug test kit that can detect fentanyl, tramadol and oxycodone. After the live demonstrations, 12 sets in total of the opioids safe handling kits containing PPE and rapid test kits were handed over to the participating agencies.
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| Photo: A participant wearing PPE provided in INCB's field drug test kits(PPE). | |
Receiving the GRIDS team, Mr. Kenneth Adu-Amanfo, the deputy Director of NCC on behalf of the Ghanaian authorities, expressed his appreciation for the activity and requested for more trainings to enable to raise awareness among as many officers as possible. The mission ended with a field visit to the FDA and NCC control units located in Ghanapost and in the Accra Airport on the third day.
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.
The GRIDS Programme is supported by the Governments of Canada, Japan and the United States. This event 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