International Narcotics
Control Board

GLOBAL RAPID INTERDICTION OF DANGEROUS
SUBSTANCES (GRIDS) PROGRAMMEA Global Programme of the International Narcotics Control Board

What is GRIDS?
The Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme aims tomeasurably reduce trafficking in dangerous substances globally, with a particular focus
on emerging new psychoactive substances (NPS), non-medical synthetic opioids, as well
as relevant chemicals and equipment, and limit supply to consumer markets by:Enhancing global communication to facilitate real-time information exchange
between Member States on incidents involving dangerous substances

Coordinating activities that support multilateral operations, investigations
and communication

Engaging in relevant private sector partners, focusing on the manufacture,marketing, monetization, and movement of dangerous substances“Today, synthetically engineered highly toxic non-medical synthetic opioids, NPS and designer
precursors made on demand, ordered online using anonymous crypto-currencies and hidden among
the millions of letters and parcels shipped around the world, result in human suffering and loss oflife. Traditional scheduling both nationally and internationally is just the minimum. Governments
need tools and support to address these continuously changing trends and new ways of trafficking.”
Cornelis P. de Joncheere, INCB President

A Rapidly Changing Global Threat in a Changing Disguise
The synthetic drug epidemic, fuelled by the rapid emergence of new highly-potent andnon-scheduled dangerous substances, continues to impact communities all over theworld leading to an unprecedented number of overdose deaths every year.
Due to their potency, international shipments of these dangerous substances are
frequently made in very small amounts making detection difficult. Shipments areoften part of express mail services, express courier services, and freight forwarding
consignments posted via unsuspecting third countries. Intelligence sharing andinternational cooperation are paramount if domestic controls are to effectively interdictthe manufacture, sales and re-distribution of dangerous non-controlled substances
before they reach consumers.
Responding to Member States´ requests to enhance their law enforcement capacity todetect new psychoactive substances, promote cross-border cooperation and informationsharing through the use of specialized tools, INCB took the decision to consolidate
its operational counter-trafficking special projects and tools -- Project ION, the global
OPIOIDS Project and the IONICS platform -- and expand sectors involved in its PublicPrivate Partnership initiatives under GRIDS.

PROJECT ION

INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS ON NPS

Project ION is the operational initiative, supporting national authorities’
efforts in preventing non-scheduled NPS with little or no-known medical,
scientific or industrial use from reaching consumer markets.
Project ION activities are primarily engaged in the coordination, collection and communication ofstrategic and operational information and intelligence related to suspicious shipments of, trafficking
in, and manufacture of NPS. The INCB secure online communication platform (IONICS) is dedicatedto real-time communication of suspicious incidents and it allows for the development and sharing ofstrategic and operational intelligence to counter global trafficking.

GLOBAL OPIOIDS PROJECTOPERATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS TO INTERDICT OPIOID’S ILLICIT DISTRIBUTION & SALESThe Operational Partnerships to Interdict Opioids’ Illicit Distribution
and Sales (OPIOIDS) Project supports national authorities’ andinternational organizations’ efforts in preventing trafficking insynthetic opioids and their precursors.
The activities and partnerships developed under the OPIOIDS Project are designed to effectively
provide a balanced, practical approach to the collection and communication of actionable informationand operational intelligence of these substances to support the work and safety of relevant firstresponders.

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPSPREVENTING TRAFFICKING AND DIVERSION THROUGH PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS

Through its expanding Public Private Partnerships initiative, INCB supports
Governments in developing and implementing voluntary partnerships as anadaptive and effective strategy to prevent the exploitation of the private sector
in the manufacture, movement, marketing, and monetization of dangerous
substances.

The Five Core Pillars of the GRIDS Approach
In order to prevent the global diversion and trafficking of dangerous substances the GRIDS approachis based on five core pillars, which are indispensable to the fulfilment of the Board’s objectives.

Training Officers

Communicationand Alerts

ExpandingPublic-Private
Partnerships

IONICS forIntelligence
Exchange

Field Presence

A Consolidated Approach Under a New Umbrella
GRIDS trains its law and regulatory enforcement focal points under Project ION and the OPIOIDS Project
and facilitates access to real-time exchange of information and operational intelligence through INCB’s
proprietary Project ION incident Communication System (IONICS) platform, mechanisms which achievecounter-trafficking results.
Intelligence-gathering: Exchange at a global level of actionable intelligence on selectedregions and modus operandi of trafficking in dangerous substances, as a basis for
implementing rapid interdiction activities;

Coordinating global special operations: Operationalizing intelligence by connecting
the most relevant stakeholders across law enforcement and regulatory agencies andlaunching operations;
Rapid training on awareness, interdiction and intelligence exchange: Strengthening
interdiction and intelligence exchange capacity by training and exchanging know-how,
technical expertise, contacts and methodologies across agencies;
Provision of practical tools: Equipping those who have a practical role to play ininterdiction efforts with the necessary tools, frameworks for cooperation and securechannels of communication to succeed in substantially reducing trafficking in dangerous
substances in the short and intermediate term.
Through Governments, voluntary cooperation mechanisms involving internet and e-commerce providers,the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, transport providers, providers of online financial services,and social media platforms are incorporated across programme prevention and interdiction activities.

Towards Long-term Sustainability
With its roots pre-dating the United Nations, INCB is the oldest and most experienced international bodyto ensure that adequate supplies of drugs are available for medical and scientific uses, and that thediversion of drugs and their precursors into illicit channels does not occur.
The GRIDS Programme builds upon the Board’s track record of successful international operational
initiatives. The Programme activities and align with both the United Nations General Assembly Special
Session on effectively addressing and countering the world drug problem, and the UN Sustainable
Development Goals.

Ensure healthy lives and promote
well-being for all ages.

Achieve gender equality andempower all women and girls.

Make cities inclusive, safe, resilientand sustainable.

Promote peaceful and inclusive
societies for sustainable development,
provide access to justice for all andbuild effective, accountable andinclusive institutions at all levels.
Strengthen the means of
implementation and revitalise theglobal partnership for sustainable
development.

Our Mandate
GRIDS supports the 2018 United Nations General Assembly Resolution 73/192, calling for “International
cooperation to address and counter the world drug problem”, by responding to requests by Member
States to enhance their law enforcement capacity to detect and identify new psychoactive substancesand promote cross-border cooperation and information-sharing through the use of the Board’s
specialized tools and projects.

GRIDS ProgrammeInternational Narcotics Control Board (INCB)
United Nations Offices at Vienna
Vienna International CentreP.O. Box 500
A-1400 Vienna, Austria
E-mail: incb.grids@un.org
Telephone: +43-1-26060
https://www.incb.org/incb/en/grids.html
Photo credits: INCB, Pexels