Global SMART keeping tabs on synthetic drugs

5 November 2009

The Global SMART Update was released today, providing information on synthetic drugs emerging across the world. Volume 2 contains several articles related to new types of synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals; while some of them are simply new combinations of existing chemicals, others such as fluoroamphetamine appear to be completely new to the market. Many of the substances are specifically engineered to circumvent international and national controls through subtle modifications made to their chemistry. These substances are almost never tested for human consumption and incidences of poisoning, some fatal, have already been reported. Other segments include significant or unusual seizures of drugs or precursor chemicals, new locations or methods for clandestine manufacture, changes in legislation to combat synthetic drugs, emerging drugs or user groups and the health implications of using such drugs.... more

25 September 2009

Crime scene and physical evidence awareness training delivered to police officers in Western Africa

35 police officers from The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone participated in a crime scene and physical evidence awareness course hosted by the Nigeria Police (National Central Bureau) in Lagos from 8 to 11 September 2009... more

23 July 2009

Global SMART on the Move in Asia

29 - 31 July 2009 The Global SMART Programme: Regional workshop for East Asia will be held in Bangkok, Thailand. The major focus of the meeting is to strengthen the capacity of participating countries in gathering, analysing and sharing information on the use and trafficking of ATS. Eleven countries throughout the region have been invited to participate along with observers from other regions.... more

29 May 2009

CNPA Laboratory, Kabul: Second Laboratory Information Bulletin

The second issue of the Information Bulletin of the Laboratory of the Counter-narcotics Police in Afghanistan provides an overview of the most interesting forensic findings on exceptional drug seizures in Afghanistan between January and April 2009... more

24 April 2009

Guidelines on Representative Drug Sampling

The Guidelines describe a number of sampling methods, from arbitrary methods to methods with a statistical background. Focus is on sampling in cases where large numbers of relatively homogeneous material are available.... more

23 April 2009

Crime Scene and Physical Evidence Awareness for Non-forensic Personnel

The manual provides a basic outline of the crime scene investigation process with a focus on why individual steps and actions are essential. It aims at raising awareness of the importance of good practices in crime scene investigations... more

13 March 2009

UNODC's Commitment to Quality and Continuous Improvement in Drug Analysis

The Laboratory and Scientific Section (LSS) of the United Nations on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) launched a guidance for the " Implementation of a Quality Management System in Drug Testing Laboratories" which... more

10 March 2009

Making Drug Analysis Laboratories Fit-for-purpose: International Collaborative Exercises (ICE) 2007 Summary Report

The summary report of the implementation of the " International Collaborative Exercises (ICE) 2007" launched by the Laboratory and Scientific Section (LSS) of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime... more

11 December 2008

CNPA Laboratory, Kabul: First Laboratory Information Bulletin

Southern Africa Regional Forensic Science (SARFS) Network

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (SARPCCO) co-organized a meeting to set up the basis for a forensic network in... more

22 October 2008

Asian Forensic Science Network (AFSN)

A Forerunner Group of representatives from six forensic science institutes in Southeast Asia met in Singapore last week to lay the basis for an Asian Forensic Sciences Network (AFSN).The meeting was co-hosted by UNODC, Singapore's Health Sciences... more