VIENNA, 10 August (UN Information Service) – The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) has published a Global review of categories of industries involved in the manufacture, trade and distribution of specialized equipment used in the illicit manufacture of drugs. The publication focuses on 14 types of specialized equipment, such as mixers, reaction vessels, glassware, heating mantles and tableting and encapsulating machines.
It highlights 11 categories of industries and key actors across the equipment supply chain that might be exposed to the diversion of equipment into illicit drug manufacture. It constitutes the first step of a broader initiative to encourage governments to engage with the private sector, balancing both legitimate trade and risk of diversion, alongside similar longstanding international efforts to prevent the diversion of precursor chemicals for use in illicit drug manufacture.
The publication highlights that several features in the equipment supply chain influence both the legitimate circulation of equipment and its potential diversion or misuse. Unlike precursor chemicals, which are typically consumed or transformed during manufacturing processes, such equipment is designed for repeated use and may be traded, relocated, refurbished, or re-exported multiple times throughout its lifecycle, creating distinct vulnerabilities within its supply chain.
Because this equipment is durable and can re-circulate for years, supply-chain oversight must extend beyond initial manufacture and sale. Therefore, INCB has mapped key actors across the entire equipment supply chain, from original equipment manufacturers, traders and distributors to logistics providers, second-hand dealers, refurbishment and retrofitting operators, digital marketplaces and final disposal services.
Second-hand markets and online platforms are becoming increasingly important for legitimate access to certain equipment, especially for smaller firms and research institutions. However, the publication notes that levels of documentation, transparency and checks can vary. In particular, auctions and open online platforms may offer less traceability, increasing the risk of diversion of equipment into illicit drug manufacture, and pointing to the need for stronger cooperation with the private sector.
Finally, the publication flags 3D printing as a likely emerging trend, warning that it could pose future challenges for monitoring the circulation of specific types of specialized equipment.
The publication is available on the INCB website. A more detailed version is available for use by national authorities and complements the series of INCB resource materials aimed at assisting Governments to establish or enhance cooperation with industry.
Quick links
- INCB equipment resources and initiatives
- INCB resources on precursors control
- Brochure on the INCB equipment programme
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INCB is the independent, quasi-judicial body charged with promoting and monitoring Government compliance with the three international drug control conventions: the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1988 Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. Established by the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, the thirteen members of the Board are elected in a personal capacity by the Economic and Social Council for terms of five years.
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For further information, please contact:
INCB Secretariat
Tel.: (+43-1) 26060-4163
Email: incb.secretariat@un.org
www.incb.org
