Vienna, Austria, 26 September 2025
The International Narcotics Control Board's (INCB) GRIDS Programme hosted the Permanent Forum on International Pharmaceutical Crime (PFIPC) and its scientific working group, the International Laboratory Forum on Counterfeit Medicines (ILFCM), at the United Nations in Vienna. The event brought together 55 officers from national enforcement agencies, forensic specialists, international operational organizations and trusted private sector partners from around the world, to advance coordinated action against falsified, violative or otherwise illicit pharmaceuticals, often containing dangerous new psychoactive active substances.
PFIPC is the international enforcement forum dedicated to protecting public health through the exchange of information and actions to foster mutual cooperation against pharmaceutical trafficking. Its mission is to strengthen international collaboration in the fight against pharmaceutical crime by sharing knowledge, resources, and best practices among enforcement agencies worldwide. ILFCM gathers scientific and forensic experts from police and health regulators to exchange the specialized expertise needed to safeguard the world's medicine supply from dangerous falsified products.
The event provided information-sharing on emerging threats, risk indicators, and case typologies including trafficking of synthetic drugs via e-cigarettes/ vape products, the rise in nitazene opioids in falsified pharmaceuticals and the phenomenon of performance enhancing drugs and NPS. The event highlighted the latest practical tools to accelerate cross-border investigations; new laboratory methods for detection and attribution of falsified medicines and NPS; and public-private collaboration to protect pharmaceutical brands and supply chains. This included the results of 2025 Operation African Star 2, a joint law and regulatory and private sector enforcement operation to use serialization technologies to support trafficking, diversion and back-tracking investigation in East Africa.
Tariq Sarwar, PFIPC Secretary said "INCB are a valued partner of PFIPC, a unique forum bringing together international law enforcement professionals and scientific experts from across the globe, united in their mission to protect global public health. By breaking down barriers and strengthening in-country capabilities, we work collectively to disrupt organised crime and safeguard communities. I wish to express my sincere thanks to INCB for their generous hospitality in hosting a successful and productive 2025 meeting."
Matthew Nice, INCB GRIDS Programme manager, noted that "pharmaceutical trafficking is a transnational threat that has recently shifted from lifestyle drugs to life-saving drugs, and demands great transnational cooperation and technology solutions." Convening PFIPC and ILFCM at the United Nations in Vienna, aligns law and regulatory enforcement with cutting-edge laboratory science, that result in stronger borders, safer communities and more prosperous private sector.
The 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.
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
