Leveraging practical expertise to develop national early warning systems in Southeast Asia
The synthetic drug market in East and Southeast Asia has continued to expand as supply of traditional drugs, such as methamphetamine and ketamine increase, while new substances and synthetic drug products continue to emerge. NPS remain prevalent in the market, with new variants such as semi-synthetic cannabinoids and nitazenes making an appearance. Additionally, synthetic drug products containing mixtures of multiple substances have also emerged, as organised crime groups capitalise on the availability of these synthetic substances and market their drugs to appeal to more users.
In light of these developments, the UNODC SMART Forensics programme has been working with countries in the region to develop their own national early warning systems so that national authorities may be better able to detect, and share among relevant stakeholders, information on new synthetic substances and drug products. A regional workshop on early warning was held on 10-11 June 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand, with financial support from the United States of America through the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Section (INL). Representatives from Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam participated in the workshop.
The regional workshop built upon the foundation of the national consultative dialogues held with countries in the region and provided countries in the region with further knowledge on different early warning system models as well as practical guidance on the establishment process.
