Malé, Maldives, 16-18 December 2025
Photo: Opening Ceremony of the Maldives-Sri Lanka basic training event held at Malé, Maldives
In a partnership aimed at curbing the trafficking of emerging synthetic drugs in South Asia, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) GRIDS programme successfully convened a basic training event of law enforcement and regulatory officers from the Maldives and Sri Lanka. Chief Superintendent of Police Hassan Shifau, Maldives Police Service, and Deputy Commissioner Ibrahim Mafaz, Maldives Customs Service, and Mr. Fumio Ito, Manager, GRIDS programme, INCB, made the opening remarks. Mr. Mihyar Alnifaidy, U.S. embassy in the Maldives, made special remarks at the closing.
The training event’s objectives focused on strengthening international cooperation and sharing timely intelligence by building the capabilities of frontline officers with INCB GRIDS Intelligence Tools, NPS Awareness, and Open-Source Intelligence Tools. Widely available potent and dangerous substances not under international control pose significant threats to public health and safety. A total of 21 law-enforcement officers from the Maldives Police Service, Maldives Customs Service, Sri Lanka Police, Sri Lanka Customs and two officers from the Sri Lanka National Dangerous Drugs Control Board actively participated in the training event.
Classroom activities promoted team building, trust building, networking for officers, and discussing best practices.
Mr. Fumio Ito, INCB GRIDS programme manager, presented the latest global and regional trafficking trends of dangerous substances, including NPS, synthetic opioids, and related chemicals in the South Asia region. Participants made presentations on national trends and discussed trafficking modus operandi encountered in their work. Officers received access to INCB's proprietary tools, IONICS, GRIDS Intelligence HD, and SNOOP to enhance the global exchange of information and intelligence to support international investigations through the GRIDS’ interactive and participatory training methods including peer discussion and group works on hypothetical case studies.
Officers also received pocket field guides for the field environment where the frontline officers operate, NPS awareness posters and access to the ELITE virtual training environment for continued learning on INCB systems.
Photo: Participants from Sri Lanka and Maldives
The participation of INCB reflects the organization's ongoing commitment to strengthening national and regional capacity to prevent and respond to the trafficking of dangerous substances. Through the GRIDS Programme, INCB continues to support authorities worldwide in enhancing real-time information exchange, inter-agency cooperation, and targeted interdiction operations.
The Board's Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme and Project ION and OPIOIDS Project operate under the International Narcotics Control Board's unique Article 35 (1961) treaty mandate that supports Governments' capabilities to exchange information on trafficking, illicit manufacture, marketing and sales of NPS, synthetic opioids, fentanyls and related chemicals, by providing real-time communication, and capabilities to facilitate information exchange and intelligence development with the aim to interdict distribution of dangerous substances.
These events were made possible by the 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
