INCB GRIDS Holds Regional Workshop on Public-Private Partnerships for Prevention of Dangerous Substance Trafficking through Exploitation of Money or Value Transfer Services (MVTS)
Bangkok, Thailand, 14-15 August 2024 - The Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) held a two-day regional workshop on Public-Private Partnerships for Prevention of Dangerous Substance Trafficking through Exploitation of Money or Value Transfer Services (MVTS) in Bangkok, Thailand, from August 14-15, 2024.
The workshop aimed to build on the successes of the stakeholder consultation meeting and two (2) webinars organized by the GRIDS programme in 2021 for raising awareness among its national focal points and their private sector partners on the exploitation of MVTS providers (which includes companies providing e-wallet services, international remittance service providers (or money service businesses), and Hawala and Other Similar Service Providers (HOSSPs)), for the trafficking of dangerous substances (namely new psychoactive substances (NPS), non-medical synthetic opioids, and their relevant chemicals).
The recently held workshop focused on discussing practical solutions and strategies to promote cooperation between governments and MVTS providers for the prevention of the exploitation of e-wallet companies and remittance service providers for the trafficking of dangerous substances. The event brought together 22 representatives from 7 governments, 3 international organizations, 1 e-wallet company, 1 remittance service provider, and 1 financial technology company to share their respective experiences in preventing the prevent the illicit use of e-wallet and remittance services for dangerous substance trafficking. /p>
In his opening remarks, Mr. Thanakorn Kaiyanunta, Senior Narcotics Control Advisor from the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) of Thailand, welcomed the GRIDS programme's initiative to organize the workshop, which included participants from both government and private sector at national and global levels, and expressed confidence that the workshop would generate ideas and initiate collaborative opportunities to address drug trafficking in the Southeast Asian region.
Photo: Mr. Thanakorn Kaiyanunta delivering his speech
Mr. Brett Pettit, Deputy Director of the United States of America's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) in Thailand, emphasized the importance of information exchange between governments and private entities, noting that such collaboration was vital for effectively tackling online drug trafficking.
Photo: Mr. Brett Pettit delivering his speech
Complementing the two guest speakers' remarks, Mr. Fumio Ito, Manager of Project ION (International Operations on NPS), highlighted the GRIDS programme's commitment to enhancing cooperation and sharing intelligence between public and private sector. Remarking upon the global rise of NPS and non-medical synthetic opioids and the exploitation of internet-based and payment platforms for the trafficking of these dangerous substances, he urged the governments and their industry partners to unite for strategically and operationally addressing these challenges.
The participants from the public sector shared the recent trends concerning the misuse of MVTS (e-wallets and/or remittance services) for the trafficking of dangerous substances, the modus operandi of such traffickers, and the steps taken by governments to facilitate information sharing and investigation with the private sector. The participants from the private sector were informed about their policies and approaches for customer due diligence (CDD) and monitoring suspicious transactions and accounts potentially involved in dangerous substance trafficking. The GRIDS representative provided a brief demonstration of SNOOP (Scanning Novel Opioids Online Platform) and OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) as state-of-the-art technological tools and skills that intend to enhance governments' capacity to identify high-risk actors on Internet-based platforms. In response to the GRIDS' presentation, some committed private sector partners indicated their interest in utilizing the information on high-risk online actors identified through SNOOP for preventive purposes.
Photo: Participants delivering their presentations
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 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