INL-Funded GRIDS Programme Strengthens Postal and Customs Security in the Americas and Contributes to Risk Indicator Discussions at WCO-INL Expert Meeting
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 8 August 2025 - The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), through its Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme, contributed cutting-edge tools and intelligence-driven approaches to the World Customs Organization (WCO) and U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Synthetic Drugs Detection Project - Mail Channel (SDDP-MC) expert meeting.
Photo: Participants during the WCO-INL expert meeting in Santo Domingo
Held from 4 to 8 August 2025 in Santo Domingo, the meeting gathered customs officers from Europe, Latin America, the United States and Asia, along with representatives from the WCO and the Universal Postal Union (UPU), to enhance risk profiling and inter-agency coordination in response to synthetic drug threats moving through international mail streams.
At the invitation of the WCO, the INCB GRIDS Programme showcased its key platforms, IONICS, GRIDS Intel and the AI-powered SNOOP system, demonstrating their operational impact and practical use in frontline detection and response. The GRIDS team also contributed to technical discussions on risk indicators for customs in detecting the illicit trafficking of synthetic drugs, sharing lessons learned from global cases and operational trends.
This collaboration reaffirmed the strategic value of INL support to the GRIDS Programme, which delivers tangible security outcomes across the region and strengthens the defenses of U.S. and regional postal channels against emerging synthetic drug threats.
Participation of the INCB GRIDS Programme was made possible through generous support of the United States Government, Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement.
The 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.
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