Supporting the Lao People's Democratic Republic to strengthen interdiction of dangerous substances through the establishment of a National Targeting Center
Photo: The official handover and inauguration ceremony was opened by the Deputy Director General of the Lao Customs Department, Mr. Korlakanh Srithirath and Ms. Michelle Outlaw, Deputy Chief of Mission from the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane
Vientiane 9 October 2025 - The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme in coordination with the United States Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) supported the official handover and operationalization of the new National Targeting Center (NTC) within the Lao Customs Department Investigation and Suppression Division.
The official handover ceremony was opened by the Deputy Director General of the Lao Customs Department, Mr. Korlakanh Srithirath, and Ms. Michelle Outlaw, Deputy Chief of Mission from the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane, and was attended by representatives from INL and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). During her opening remarks, Ms. Outlaw highlighted that "the completion of the Targeting Center in Vientiane marks a significant milestone" and that "this cooperation is more important than ever, as we seek to combat criminal enterprises that are leveraging technology to become more and more sophisticated."
The GRIDS Programme aims to support law enforcement and regulatory agencies worldwide in identifying and dismantling criminal organizations through risk profiling, detection of modus operandi, and secure targeting information exchange to initiate and support investigations into the trafficking of new psychoactive substances (NPS), non-medical synthetic opioids, and other dangerous substances. The NTC will serve as a central hub for monitoring, analyzing, and targeting synthetic drug trafficking and related illicit activities, enhancing early detection and interdiction capabilities for dangerous substances being exported and imported into the Lao People's Democratic Republic, the region and globally.
Photo: Mr. Aleksander Piecyk, INCB Regional Technical Officer for Asia-Pacific, briefs the high-level delegation on INCB tools and demonstrates how officers can use them in their daily targeting work
After the initial ceremony, the high-level delegation was invited into the targeting center and given a real-time demonstration of all the INCB Intelligence-led tools that power the targeting center by Mr. Aleksander Piecyk, Regional Technical Officer for East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific. This included highlighting several cases uploaded by the Lao Customs Department that have initiated on-going investigations via the IONICS secure communication platform, and identifying several websites selling dangerous synthetic opioids, including fentanyls and nitazenes, directly to the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
As part of the handover, Lao Customs officers completed a two-day intensive training programme focused on comprehensive end-to-end targeting techniques, secure intelligence exchange via the IONICS platform, risk profiling, trend analysis, and real-time monitoring of known trafficking routes using GRIDS intelligence HD. The second day included a full-day practical session on Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) methods for detecting illicit online opioid trafficking as well as the use of the Scanning of Novel Opioids on Online Platforms (SNOOP) tool, which leverages AI and machine learning to monitor suspicious online vendors and marketplaces that exploit global e-commerce platforms to distribute synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, its analogues, and related precursors and equipment. The training also included a comprehensive overview of Operational Security (OPSEC) fundamentals that investigators should apply when conducting online investigations, to safeguard both themselves and their organizations.
Photo: Lao Customs Officers using the GRIDS Intelligence Ultra HD Tool to target trafficking of dangerous substances in real-time.
The Board's Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme and Project ION and OPIOIDS Project support Governments' capacity to respond to changing trafficking, illicit manufacture, marketing and sales of NPS, non-medical synthetic opioids and fentanyl-related substances by providing real-time communication, facilitating information exchange and intelligence development that interdict distribution of dangerous substances.