Postal security experts receive training on INCB's advanced communication and analytics tools and safe handling of dangerous substances
BERN, 8-11 August 2022 - The INCB Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme provided training on safe handling of dangerous substances, and access to and training on its latest intelligence tools, to Universal Postal Union (UPU) regional postal security managers and selected postal security experts in Bern, Switzerland.
The training, arranged in close partnership with UPU and within the framework of the 2018 UPU-INCB Memorandum of Understanding, aimed to facilitate the sharing of information and development of actionable intelligence for postal officers globally, whilst ensuring safety of front-line officers. The four-day workshop facilitated the exchange of best practices and aimed to mitigate the issue of new psychoactive substances (NPS) in the postal supply chain and assist designated operators in achieving UPU security certification.
The global postal supply chain plays a vital role for businesses, individuals, and governments throughout the world, and has experienced significant growth, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This growth exposes the sector to greater potential misuse and exploitation, compromising in turn the integrity and safety of postal services.
Recognizing the critical role that postal officers play in intercepting emerging dangerous substances in the global postal supply chain, 18 select security experts and UPU regional postal security managers from 15 countries located in the Asia-Pacific, Caribbean and Latin America received access to and training on INCB's advanced communication and analytics tools - IONICS and GRIDS Intelligence, as well as training on safe handling of dangerous substances.
The Board's Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme and its Project ION and global OPIOIDS Project and its Public-Private Partnerships initiatives support Governments' capacity to respond to changing trafficking, illicit manufacture, marketing and sales of NPS, synthetic opioids and fentanyl-related substances by facilitating real-time information exchange, intelligence development and actions that interdict distribution of dangerous substances.
The GRIDS Programme is supported by the Governments of Canada, Japan, and the United States of America. 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