INCB Expands Global Lists of Dangerous Synthetic Substances, Mobilizing Government
and Industry Action to Disrupt Trafficking
The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), through its Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme, convened U.S. and international experts this week to drive coordinated action against the synthetic drug threat fuelling overdose deaths and illicit supply chains.
At the fourth International Expert Group Meeting (CHEM4), held at the United Nations in Vienna, 36 experts from 13 governments and five industries and international organizations worked to identify, expand and ultimately disrupt trafficking in dangerous substances with no known legitimate use. Under the auspices of the global OPIOIDS Project, the event brought together law enforcement, regulatory authorities, forensic scientists, and industry leaders in chemical manufacture and detections to translate emerging threat intelligence into practical, operational measures. In addition, the USA National Association of Boards of Pharmacies participated to highlight industry cooperations in the falsified and illicitly manufactured pharmaceuticals.
Opening the meeting, Howard Solomon, Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Vienna, underscored the direct implications for border security: “Like many countries represented here, the United States has seen firsthand the devastating toll of synthetic drugs and the chemicals used to produce them. These substances continue to take lives, undermine public safety, and place enormous strain on our communities. Responding to this threat is therefore not only a matter of health policy; it is also a matter of security and international responsibility.”
Photo: Mr. Howard Solomon, Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim, U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Vienna and INCB Acting Secretary of the Board is Mr. Stefano Berterame the opening CHEM4
A central outcome of the meeting was the expansion of INCB’s global lists of substances with no known legitimate use, including its lists of fentanyl-related substances and precursors, synthetic non-fentanyl opioids, and novel benzodiazepines. Experts agreed to extend these lists to include non-medical ketamine analogues, reflecting their increasing emergence in illicit markets and their growing risk profile.
These lists serve as a critical operational tool for both governments and industry identify 390 dangerous substances. They are actively used by online platforms, chemical suppliers, and financial and logistics service providers to identify high-risk substances and prevent their marketing and sale—particularly across digital marketplaces where synthetic drugs are increasingly trafficked. By providing a clear, evidence-based reference point, the lists enable rapid, voluntary action to dismantle supply chains before substances reach consumers. Governments are encouraged to refrain from activities such as manufacturing, marketing, import, export, or distribution of the substances outlined in these lists, unless explicitly for limited research and analytical purposes.
Reinforcing the operational urgency, Stefano Berterame, Acting Secretary of INCB, emphasized that “criminal networks exploit gaps between jurisdictions, sectors, and systems. Our task is to close those gaps through real-time information sharing and practical cooperation that delivers results.” These outcomes translate directly into stronger enforcement capabilities, faster cross-border intelligence sharing, safer industries and more effective disruption and dismantling of sources of synthetic drugs.
The
Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS)Programme and
Project ION and
OPIOIDS Project operates under the INCB’s Article 35 mandate of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, supporting governments’ capacity to exchange real-time information on trafficking, illicit manufacture, marketing, and sales of NPS, synthetic opioids, fentanyls, and related chemicals, with the aim of disrupting and interdicting the distribution of dangerous substances.
The GRIDS Programme is supported by the government of the United States. This event was made possible through generous support from the United States Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
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
