Addressing the Threat of Dual-Use Chemical Trafficking

Why It Matters

Disrupting dual‑use chemical trafficking curtails the firepower of narcoterrorist groups, safeguarding Colombian citizens and stabilizing a key export corridor.

Key Takeaways

• 128 deactivations by 143 explosive technicians surpass 2024 levels
• Illegal mining and extortion fuel explosive trafficking in Colombia
• Project CHASE unites Colombia, Ecuador, Peru to combat dual-use chemicals
• Interpol checks passports and cargo at Buenaventura port for illicit explosives
• Joint operations seized illegal explosives, disrupting narcoterrorist supply chains

Summary

The video outlines Colombia’s intensified fight against the trafficking of dual‑use chemicals and explosives, highlighting recent successes by the nation’s 143 explosive‑technician units, which have carried out 128 deactivations—far exceeding the totals recorded in 2024.

Officials blame illegal gold and coltan mining, as well as extortion by armed criminal groups, for feeding the demand for explosives. Through Project CHASE, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru share tactics and intelligence, while Interpol supplies a specialized passport‑screening system to flag individuals with criminal alerts.

During coordinated raids at the Buenaventura port, Puerto Bolívar and Machala, authorities inspected 21 crew members, verified cargo manifests, and uncovered a clandestine explosives factory funneling material to Colombia via sea and land routes. The operation seized significant quantities of high‑explosive precursors and demonstrated the ability to interdict shipments before they reach terrorist cells.

The joint effort underscores the transnational nature of narcoterrorist threats and the necessity of regional cooperation. By disrupting supply chains and strengthening border controls, the initiative aims to protect public safety, preserve economic stability in mining‑dependent regions, and deter future attacks on law‑enforcement and civilians.

Original Description

Dual-use chemicals pose a public safety risk as they can be diverted from legitimate applications for use in the manufacture of explosives or weapons for terrorist purposes.

Go behind the scenes as police, immigration and customs agencies across Colombia, Ecuador and Peru join forces in the region’s first operation targeting cross-border smuggling of dual-use chemicals.

Undertaken in November 2025, Operation CHASE was coordinated by INTERPOL and involved more than 50,000 inspections at borders and ports. It highlighted the growing threat of dual-use substances in South America, with the publication of several INTERPOL Notices. An Orange Notice alerted global law enforcement to serious threat to public safety after Ecuadorean law enforcement officers discovered explosive detonators in the cargo holds of public passenger coaches. In Peru, officers identified a novel method of smuggling fuel across borders, using improvised tanker trucks constructed from repurposed agricultural transport vehicles and a Purple Notice was issued to alert to this emerging criminal modus operandi.

The operation also led to the arrest of a fugitive wanted internationally by Peru under an INTERPOL Red Notice and was an important opportunity for cooperation and capacity building among police in the three participating countries, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.