Collaborating with Pacific Island States to Strengthen Frontline Capacity through INCB GRIDS Tools and U.S. DEA Partnership
Bangkok, Thailand 1-5 September 2025 - The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), through its Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme, delivered a specialized investigations course to multiagency frontline officers from Pacific Island States, in partnership with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) Thailand.
The in-person training brought together officers from the Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Thailand. The course focused on enhancing operational and investigative capacity to address the trafficking of synthetic drugs, new psychoactive substances (NPS), fentanyls and related chemicals.
Participants were introduced to the IONICS Suite, providing real-time secure communications and intelligence development capabilities for governments, as well as access and practical training on GRIDS Intelligence, SNOOP and open-source intelligence (OSINT) methodologies. These tools enable frontline agencies to identify and track emerging drug threats and to strengthen cross-border intelligence sharing in real time.
Matthew Nice, GRIDS Programme manager provided awareness-raising sessions underscoring the risks posed by synthetic drugs to public health and security in the Pacific region. Practical modules highlighted how law enforcement can detect trafficking activity, identify suspicious consignments, and prevent diversion. Using INCB's tools
Through this USA-led course, INCB continued to strengthen the ability of regional governments in the Pacific to detect, investigate and disrupt synthetic drug threats, while reinforcing cooperation with international partners and regional law enforcement.
The training was delivered under the framework of the INCB GRIDS Programme, with the support of the United States Government, Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement.
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.
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