Moving Forward for Enforcement: Enhancing International Cooperation and Enforcement Among Women Police Officers Across the Caribbean
Trinidad and Tobago, 3 June 2024 - The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme in collaboration with Organization of American States (OAS) - Supply Reduction Unit of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) carried out a five-day regional training to counter the illicit trafficking of New Psychoactive Substances.
Held at the Caribbean Counterdrug Intelligence Training School (CCITS) within the Trinidad and Tobago Police Academy in St. James, the workshop was attended by 27 women law enforcement and regulatory officers from eleven Caribbean countries. Participants received hands-on training and gained access to various INCB platforms aimed at enhancing their ability to safely interdict dangerous synthetic opioids and address emerging threats from new psychoactive substances and non-medical synthetic opioids.
During the opening ceremony, Ms. Marina Piper, OAS Country Representative, remarked: "One of the major emerging challenges that the region faces is the expansion and diversification of synthetic drug markets, including methamphetamine, new psychoactive substances, as well as synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and its analogues."
The workshop also featured updates from women police officers working in the frontlines on current trends and challenges in drug trafficking within the Caribbean region. They highlighted several successful seizures, including those involving opioids and other illicit substances.
Photo: Theory and practical exercises involving the proper use of PPE in the field.
A key component of the training was a comprehensive session led by the GRIDS Programme's Officer, which focused on the Project ION Incident Communication System (IONICS) and the GRIDS Intelligence HD tool. These tools are vital for strengthening both domestic and international trafficking investigations. Additionally, a dedicated session on the safe handling and use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for opioids and other dangerous substances reinforced participants' knowledge and ensured their safety through fundamental protective measures.
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 organized in collaboration with OAS-CICAD Inter-American Program for Strengthening Gender Equality in Counterdrug Law Enforcement Agencies (GENLEA). The GRIDS Programme is supported by the Governments of Canada, Japan, and the United States. This event was made possible through the generous support from Global Affairs Canada's Anti-Crime Capacity Building Program.
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