eLesson: Illicit drugs laboratories - New psychoactive substances (NPS)

New psychoactive substances (NPS) are a broad group of drugs – including benzodiazepines, dissociatives, hallucinogens, opioids, stimulants and synthetic cannabinoids – that are not controlled by United Nations (UN) conventions. NPS are commonly imported into the European Union (EU) for processing, packaging, distribution and resale. However, within the EU, the Netherlands and Poland are becoming notable hubs for the production of NPS, particularly cathinones.

The EU Early Warning System (EWS) has been monitoring NPS since 1997. In 2020, it reported 21 200 seizures of NPS (totalling more than 5.1 tonnes) in the EU Member States plus Turkey and Norway – with the majority (3.3 tonnes) of these substances being cathinones. The EWS registered the discovery of 52 novel NPS in 2021, bringing the total number that it formally recognises to more than 880.

Online technologies are making it increasingly easy for illicit NPS producers to establish strong links with criminals involved in the trade of controlled illegal drugs. The 2019 EU Drug Markets Report highlighted the serious cross-border public health threats that result from these activities.

Illegal NPS laboratories present immediate risks to local communities, law enforcement officers, and other specialists involved in their investigation and disassembly – as well as the criminals who operate them. Additionally, the dumping of waste from NPS production can have wide-ranging and long-lasting repercussions.

This eLesson delivers a virtual tour of an illegal NPS production facility detailing the characteristics of kitchen-scale laboratories; the chemicals (including pre-precursors
/precursors), equipment and methods used in synthesis; the hazards to watch out for; and the essential safety measures that must be taken by law enforcement officials who discover and/or are involved in investigating and dismantling illicit ‘kitchen labs’. These topics can be explored by taking the tour and studying the interactive hotspots, which comprise photos, explanatory texts and videos. The tour can be taken from any computer or mobile device, and by using virtual reality goggles.

The eLesson also contains a glossary of terms and abbreviations, and a job aid with concrete tips and suggestions for law enforcement officers who encounter suspected NPS kitchen labs.

eLearners can check their levels of understanding of the topic by considering a selection of quiz questions. Upon successful completion of the session, participants will obtain a badge and certificate.

The learning outcomes of this eLesson are to:

1. Recall the main characteristics of NPS production.
2. Detail the essential chemicals and equipment used for NPS production facilities to avoid detection
3. Name the measures that criminals use in NPS production facilities to avoid detection.
4. Describe the hazards emerging in illicit NPS production facilities and the countermeasures that should be taken when approaching such sites.
5. Explain the safety measures and hazard prevention methods that should be used by non-specialist law enforcement officers approaching illicit NPS production sites.

Estimated study time: 60 minutes

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