Gaborone, Botswana, 13-17 April 2026
The Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) supported the delivery of the Airport Interdiction Course at the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Gaborone, Botswana. The course was led by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and aimed to strengthen the capacity of frontline officers to detect, interdict, and investigate drug trafficking at international airports.
The training brought together approximately forty (40) participants from eight African countries: Benin, Botswana, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, and The Gambia. Participants represented police, customs, and other law enforcement agencies responsible for combating drug trafficking and related transnational organized crime.
The course covered emerging drug trafficking trends, airport interdiction techniques, intelligence-driven targeting, and investigative methodologies used to identify high-risk passengers and shipments. Participants were also exposed to current trafficking methods involving new psychoactive substances (NPS), non-scheduled substances, and evolving concealment techniques used by criminal networks.
As part of the programme, the GRIDS team delivered specialized sessions on intelligence development, open-source intelligence (OSINT), and the use of INCB operational tools. Participants were introduced to the IONICS secure communication platform, GRIDS Intelligence tools, and the Scanning Novel Opioids Online Platform (SNOOP), which supports the identification and monitoring of online trafficking activities involving dangerous substances. Practical demonstrations highlighted how these tools facilitate real-time information exchange, operational coordination, and intelligence-sharing among law enforcement agencies.
All participants were granted access to the relevant INCB tools, enabling them to strengthen cross-border cooperation and enhance their operational capabilities following the training. Participants expressed strong interest in further utilizing the tools to support their daily interdiction and investigative activities at international airports.
This initiative supports regional efforts to counter transnational organized crime and the trafficking of dangerous substances by strengthening intelligence-led enforcement and operational cooperation across Africa. The collaboration between DEA, ILEA, and the INCB GRIDS Programme highlights the importance of international partnerships, advanced technologies, and information-sharing mechanisms in addressing evolving drug trafficking threats.
The Board's Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme operates 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.
The GRIDS Programme is supported by the Governments of Japan and the United States. This event was made possible through generous support from the United States of America's Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
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