On 02 December 2025, the World Customs Organization (WCO) reported that during the four-week Operation, 93 Customs administrations had conducted intensified border checks, resulting in 475 seizures under Operation GLOBAL GATEWAY.
Explosive precursors and other Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) components are legally available on the market. Customs administrations play a crucial role in ensuring these materials are traded legally and in stemming their illicit diversion and trafficking by organised crime or terrorist groups, which often divert these dual-use materials from their licit use into illicit channels.
The operation was the most successful since the WCO launched PGS in 2010. Not only did it remove over 54 tonnes of explosive precursors and additional IED components from the international supply chains - enough material for the illicit manufacture of thousands of IEDs - it also intercepted a significant number of illicit drugs, weapons and currency. The large volumes of IED components seized in or near conflict zones suggest potential diversion from mining to illicit IED use. These include:
- 54.05 metric tonnes of Explosive Precursors
- 76,110 pieces of IED components (dynamite sticks, detonators, parts)
- 17,252 metres of detonating cords
- 1,550 metres of safety fuses
- 3,014 parts of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
WCO Secretary General, Ian Saunders, said: Today’s security challenges demand that Customs remain vigilant in preventing the illicit diversion of possible IED components to counter terrorist activities and protect society against these and other violent threats. These results demonstrate that Customs is vital to securing global supply chains and mitigating IED threats. Customs accomplishes this through robust domestic risk assessment and strong inter-agency cooperation. Coordinated multinational operations like Global Gateway not only attack the movement of illicit commodities; they also weaken those who seek to exploit the flow of legitimate trade to create some of the most harmful weapons.”
Customs administrations from around the world participated, along with contributions from WCO Regional Intelligence Offices (RILOs), INTERPOL and EUROPOL, national police forces, and additional law enforcement partners. This facilitated a collective response to the escalating threats posed by transnational terrorism and global security challenges.
Operation’s results
The WCO is reinforcing its efforts to protect society, having just concluded the Global Gateway operation aimed at targeting movements of explosive precursors and other components used by criminals to manufacture IEDs.
As one of the most vulnerable members in the Sahel region, Burkina Faso’s Customs authority seized multiple explosive materials using comprehensive risk profiling at different border crossings over the course of the operation. Detonating cords, safety fuses, and dynamite were hidden in vehicles using various concealment methods. The seizure diverted thousands of dual-use materials and protected the region from further harm.
The exploitation of maritime and land transport routes was observed throughout the operation, including in South America, where shipments were hidden in mixed cargo or passenger vehicles bound for other countries. Through targeted inspections and risk management, WCO members demonstrated the value of persistent operational vigilance at border controls. Peru Customs seized over 20,000 kg of ammonium nitrate on a vessel that arrived in the country and was improperly declared. Besides routing, the quantity differed significantly from the amount on the Bill of Lading (BoL), suggesting illicit diversion for criminal purposes. Investigations are ongoing.
In addition, seizures of narcotics and other illicit goods, while not the focus of the operation, provided further insight into the variety of concealment methods and the value of strengthened detection capacity across all risk areas. The operation included seizures of:
- 4.715 metric tonnes of cocaine
- 4.222 metric tonnes of cannabis
- 96 small arms and light weapons
- 1,302 parts of small arms and light weapons
- 8,368 rounds of ammunition
- EUR 1,668,358 in cash and USD 474,416 in cash
WCO’s key findings
Operation GLOBAL GATEWAY demonstrates the importance of the Customs mandate in risk profiling, inspection, detection, and enforcement related to dual-use goods.
Operational results align with the PGS IED threat analysis, indicating that, in addition to the Sahel region, the Americas are becoming an area of increasing concern for IED incidents. Beyond the seizure of illicit and dangerous materials during the operation, the importance of domestic, regional, global, and inter-agency cooperation is one of the most significant observations of this WCO-led initiative.
Advancements in risk management and profiling
The operation targeted all modes of transportation (air, land, and sea) to ensure that illicit trade and smuggling were tackled at all border crossings. Risk-based targeting and enhanced monitoring of dual-use chemicals and commercial explosives are critical, as legitimate trade in mining, agricultural, and industrial sectors continues to mask diversion risks for IED manufacturing and illicit trafficking.
Collaboration, information sharing and licensing
Capacity building, information sharing, the development and use of digital tools, cross-border collaboration, and domestic regulations on dual-use chemicals and additional IED components remain essential to keeping illicit goods out of the supply chain.
Next steps
Building on the operation’s success, the WCO plans to continue running PGS-related activities to support Customs administrations in detecting, preventing, and disrupting the illicit movement of materials used to manufacture IEDs, thereby strengthening global supply chain security and protecting communities worldwide.
A PGS Train-the-Trainer Workshop is scheduled to be conducted for the Americas in early 2026.
Background
IEDs continue to be one of the most common explosives employed by terrorists and armed groups, causing severe harm to civilians and infrastructure. The impact of IEDs has been devastating across numerous regions. According to the independent non-profit organisation Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), From July 2022 to June 2024, 8,165 IED events caused 13,757 fatalities across 91 countries, and the numbers are continuously increasing.
Launched in 2010, Programme Global Shield (PGS) is an unprecedented international effort to monitor the licit movement of chemicals and counter the illicit diversion and trafficking of explosive precursor chemicals and additional components used by terrorists and other illegal armed groups to manufacture IEDs.
PGS has grown into one of the WCO’s most impactful initiatives, with nearly 100 member administrations onboard and over 4,300 customs officers trained globally. To date, PGS operations have led to the seizure of more than 660 tonnes of explosive precursor chemicals and 3.7 million explosives and components, helping to prevent the assembly of thousands of IEDs.
More information
Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) Programme Global Shield