New trends and developments on equipment and excipients used in illicit drug manufacture discussed during expert group meeting
VIENNA, 9 October 2024 - The International Narcotics Control Board convened the Fourth Expert Group Meeting on illicit drug manufacturing equipment on 24 and 25 September 2024 in Vienna, Austria with the aim of taking stock of latest trends and developments to inform strategic action at the international level and to enhance the operational application of article 13 of the 1988 Convention.
The meeting was opened by Mr. Mark Colhoun, Secretary of INCB, who emphasized the need for coordinated action at the international level to prevent the diversion of specialized equipment used in illicit drug manufacture. Participants presented trends and developments related to equipment and excipients, as well as updates on specific regulatory and voluntary cooperation approaches, case investigations, and training initiatives, including at the regional level. During the meeting, participants identified good practices implemented in national and international contexts to prevent and investigate the diversion of specialized equipment for use in illicit drug manufacture.
The meeting was attended by experts with experience in equipment-related case investigations, regulatory approaches and voluntary cooperation with industry from Belgium, China, Costa Rica, Germany, India, Libya, Netherlands (Kingdom of), Poland, Russian Federation, South Africa, United States of America, UNODC, CICAD/OAS and Europol.
The meeting found that traffickers are now using high-quality pharmaceutical equipment, as well as second-hand, custom-made or modified equipment, for illicit drug manufacture. There has been a notable increase in the professionalism and scale of illicit laboratories, with more sophisticated equipment and process engineering. Participants concluded that cross-border cooperation between countries and with and between international organizations was crucial in facing these challenges.
Such cooperation is taking place, for instance, between INCB and the World Customs Organization (WCO) with a view to establishing unique Harmonized System (HS) codes for selected equipment included in the International Monitoring List of Equipment used in the illicit manufacture of drugs (IMLE).
A key element of cooperation among law enforcement and other relevant national authorities from different countries is the sharing of actionable information on equipment and excipients used in illicit drug manufacture. The Board's Precursors Incident Communication System (PICS) is a secure communication platform for the exchange of such information in real-time, thus supporting joint investigations.
Participants also discussed the need for global information and intelligence gathering to enhance knowledge about licit and illicit markets for relevant equipment and related trends and developments.
Related resources
- Equipment used in illicit drug manufacture
- Interactive compendium of INCB tools and resources related to equipment used in illicit drug manufacture
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