INCB GRIDS Conducts Back-to-Back Advanced Trainings on Intelligence Sharing, NPS Identification,
and Opioids Safe Interdiction Approaches for Lao PDR Customs Officers
Luang Prabang (4-6 March) and Pakse (10-12 March 2026), Lao PDR
The International Narcotics Control Board’s (INCB) Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme conducted two three-day training workshops for customs officers of Lao PDR in Luang Prabang and Pakse. The trainings focused on the use of INCB GRIDS intelligence tools, identification of new psychoactive substances (NPS), and safe opioid interdiction approaches.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Aleksander Piecyk, Regional Technical Officer (RTO) for Southeast Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific under the INCB GRIDS Programme, welcomed participants to the advanced training in Luang Prabang and expressed appreciation to the Government of Lao PDR, the Lao Customs Department, and the United States Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (U.S. INL) for their continued cooperation and support.
He commended Lao PDR’s recent progress in strengthening border control efforts, highlighting the establishment of the National Targeting Center as a key step in enhancing inter-agency coordination, intelligence-sharing, and operational effectiveness. Mr. Piecyk emphasized that the evolving nature of synthetic drug trafficking – driven by rapidly advancing technologies, new trade routes, and transnational criminal networks – requires sustained multi-agency collaboration at both national and international levels. He further underscored the importance of expanding efforts beyond the capital to provincial border areas, ensuring long-term sustainability through capacity-building and resources, and engaging the private sector to strengthen supply chain security and safeguard communities.
| Photo: The GRIDS Project Officer briefing participants on basic equipment used in the manufacture of illicit fentanyls (left) and demonstrating the proper use of PPE (right) in Luang Prabang. |
On Day 2, the GRIDS RTO led advanced practical sessions on the IONICS communication platform and GRIDS Intelligence HD, guiding participants through data analysis, risk profiling, and intelligence-led operations. He also delivered 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 complemented by the GRIDS Project Officer’s modules on safe handling procedures and the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE) when working with opioids and other dangerous substances.
| Photo: Participants in Pakse applying OSINT techniques to monitor online sales of synthetic opioids (left) and conducting presumptive field tests on suspicious substances (right). |
On Day 3, the training focused entirely on practical exercises, including interactive case simulations, allowing officers to apply the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the programme in simulated operational scenarios.
As part of these exercises, participants utilized the SNOOP platform to identify and monitor a vendor allegedly operating from East Asia and advertising the sale of dangerous substances across multiple e-commerce platforms, targeting markets in both the United States and Lao PDR. The information gathered was compiled into a communication package and shared with the relevant authorities to support further investigation.
The Board's Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme operates 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.
This event was made possible through generous support from the United States Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (U.S. INL).
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