The Sale of Opioid-related Substances – Latest AN 8201 Updates for the Business Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program (BRAM)
The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) has published a list of fentanyl-related substances and synthetic non-fentanyl opioids with no known legitimate uses – whether for medical or industrial uses. This list was established following exhaustive research into fentanyl-related substances which had been reported in connection with illegal ecommerce transactions, trafficked or seized, in toxicology, or related incident reports.
The INCB also revealed strategies adopted by merchants operating illegally to supply prohibited substances, to bypass law enforcement and financial institutions. Some of these include:
- Utilising shipping information that guarantees custom clearance, stealth shipping or re-delivery
- Using the Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) identification number of substances to bypass detection and identification of keywords linked to illegal substances that may be otherwise detected by monitoring tools
- Employing encrypted communication methods to enable interaction between buyer and seller
Mastercard advises acquirers to implement sufficient and effective onboarding and ongoing monitoring in order to avoid processing with merchants that may be operating in this industry.
Source: AN 8201 Updates for the Business Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program 15 August 2023