Vientiane, Lao PDR, 9-12 December 2025
The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), through its Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme, organized two consecutive events in Vientiane, Lao PDR, to strengthen national and operational responses to dangerous substances.
A national consultation workshop to promote inter-agency cooperation was held on 9 December 2025, bringing together representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and Ministry of Public Security.
The consultation workshop opened with remarks by Mr. Fumio Ito, Manager of Project ION under the INCB GRIDS Programme. He congratulated the Government and people of Lao PDR on the recent celebration of the 50th anniversary of National Day and expressed appreciation to national authorities and the United States Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (US INL) for their continued partnership.
Mr. Ito emphasized the importance of sustained collaboration to strengthen border controls, protect communities, and safeguard legitimate trade. He also highlighted the establishment of the National Targeting Center (NTC) as a key step toward improving investigations, inter-agency information-sharing, and operational outcomes in countering the proliferation of dangerous substances (namely, new psychoactive substances (NPS), non-medical synthetic opioids, and their related precursors).
Photo: Participants from relevant national agencies discuss practical recommendations at the national stakeholder consultation.
Building on these points, Mr. Korlakanh Srithirath, Deputy Director General of the Lao Customs Department, Ministry of Finance, emphasized the increasingly complex threats posed by dangerous substances, and stressed the need for coordinated, intelligence-driven responses, noting the critical role of Customs in regulating cross-border movements and the contribution of the NTC to risk-based targeting, intelligence analysis, and enforcement support.
Concluding the opening segment, Mrs. Jennifer D. Barnes-Kerns of the US INL reaffirmed her agency’s longstanding support to Lao PDR in strengthening drug law enforcement and regulatory capacity. She highlighted the role of the INCB GRIDS Programme in enhancing operational skills, intelligence sharing, and inter-agency coordination, emphasizing that such cooperation is essential to effectively address the growing threat of dangerous substances in Lao PDR and across the Mekong region.
During the workshop, participants delivered presentations on their respective mandates, current challenges, and operational priorities, followed by discussions aimed at strengthening information-sharing, coordination mechanisms, and intelligence-led responses for preventing the trafficking of dangerous substances. The consultation concluded with the adoption of 15 recommendations to enhance national and inter-agency cooperation.
The consultation was followed by a three-day advanced training workshop for drug law-enforcement officers from Vientiane from 10–12 December 2025, focusing on the use of GRIDS intelligence tools, online monitoring, identification of NPS, and safe opioid interdiction approaches for intelligence purposes.
Prior to the technical sessions, representatives from the relevant national law enforcement agencies provided an overview of the drug situation in Lao PDR, including recent seizure trends, challenges related to synthetic drugs and NPS, and the growing role of cross-border and online trafficking.
Photo: Mr. Aleksander Piecyk delivers an opening presentation during the GRIDS programme advanced training.
Photo: Participants take part in practical, hands-on training on safe interdiction practices test potentially dangerous synthetic opioids.
On Day 3, Mr. Piecyk conducted modules on operational security (OPSEC) for online investigations, the practical use of SNOOP, and open-source intelligence (OSINT) techniques for monitoring synthetic opioids and other dangerous substances on digital marketplaces and social media. Officers learned how to safely collect, assess, and manage online information while ensuring operational security and protecting investigators. These sessions were followed by Mr. Sood’s modules on safe handling procedures and the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE) when working with opioids and other dangerous substances.
The Board's Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme and Project ION and OPIOIDS Project operate under the International Narcotics Control Board's unique Article 35 (1961) treaty mandate that supports Governments' capabilities to exchange information on trafficking, illicit manufacture, marketing and sales of NPS, synthetic opioids, fentanyls and related chemicals, by providing real-time communication, and capabilities to facilitate information exchange and intelligence development with the aim to interdict distribution of dangerous substances.
These events were made possible by the generous support from the United States Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL).
Click here to learn more about the GRIDS Programme
Click here to learn more about the OPIOIDS Project
Click here to learn more about the Project ION
