Cotonou, Benin, 25–27 February 2026
Picture 1: GRIDS Programme Regional Technical Officer leading the training session
The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), through its Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme, delivered a training in Cotonou on online investigations and intelligence tools targeting synthetic drugs. Fourteen officers from the Organized Crime Special Unit (Cellule de Lutte Contre le Crime Organisé -CLCO) and the National Cybercrime Unit (Centre National d'Investigations Numériques-CNIN) participated. The training aimed to strengthen Benin’s response to criminal networks using digital platforms to distribute dangerous substances and to improve inter-agency cooperation.
The opening ceremony was led by General Atcho Didier, Permanent Secretary of the Interministerial Committee for Drug Control of Benin, who underscored the importance of adapting national drug control strategies to evolving online threats. Commissioner Fatumbi Rodrigue, Commander of the CLCO, highlighted the operational realities faced by investigators dealing with technology-enabled criminal networks.
The training combined strategic briefings and practical exercises designed to improve detection, analysis, and information-sharing related to online trafficking of new psychoactive substances (NPS), non-medical synthetic opioids, and falsified pharmaceuticals. Participants reviewed emerging trafficking trends across social media, encrypted messaging applications, and e-commerce platforms, examining how criminal actors conceal transactions and exploit legitimate logistics systems.
Picture 2: Participants revisiting IONICS and GRIDS Intelligence tools through practical exercises
A key part of the programme focused on strengthening intelligence-led investigations through the use of INCB-GRIDS tools. Refresher sessions on the Project ION Incident Communication System (IONICS) and GRIDS Intelligence were combined with simulated case scenarios. These practical exercises allowed officers to practice risk profiling, incident reporting, and coordinated information sharing.
Special emphasis was placed on the operational deployment of Scanning Novel Opioids on Online Platforms (SNOOP), the INCB’s secure online monitoring platform. Through guided exercises, participants learned how to identify suspicious online content, detect trafficking indicators, and translate digital findings into actionable intelligence supporting national investigations.
Picture 3: Participants familiarizing themselves with SNOOP, the GRIDS programme’s online new opioids detection tool
