Drug production sites: Hazards and safety measures

This product is available after registration to the CEPOL LEEd platform. Please see the below Registration Guide for details.

Target audience: This module is primarily aimed at law enforcement officers and forensic experts who are either involved in, or are in charge of, the investigation or dismantling of illicit drug production sites, storage places, drug production-related transportation and drug waste dump sites. It also targets to those officers and experts who are about to take part in advanced dismantling trainings or who have completed such trainings.
 

Aim: With the proliferation of production of illicit drugs and related phenomena such as storage places, transportation and drug waste dumping in Europe, law enforcement officials and forensic experts are facing an increasingly complex challenge which presents considerable dangers and health hazards. Investigating and dismantling drug production, storage and waste dump sites, as well as drug, precursor and chemical transportation, is a task for specialists. These specialists need to be constantly aware of the potential risks involved in their work and need to take the appropriate precautionary and preventive safety measures. 
This module aims to equip these specialists with the knowledge necessary to perform their tasks. It functions as an introduction and reference material for advanced dismantling trainings on the application of knowledge and execution dismantling of site through extensive practical exercises. These trainings can be at either national and European levels. CEPOL and Europol jointly organise two of these trainings every year:
Important: This module is not and must not be considered the only resource for professionalisation for officers who investigate or dismantle sites of illicit drug production.

Learning outcomes:
After successful completion of the module, the user is able to:

• describe general preparations for law enforcement or forensic officers when approaching or investigating suspected drug production sites, storage places, drug production-related transportation or drug waste dump sites;
• explain the relevance of two EU regulations, [1] Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) and [2] Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP), to identifying hazards at illicit drug production, storage places, transportation and drug waste dump sites;
• list and understand specific hazards related to particular drug production sites for cocaine, cannabis, amphetamine, MDMA, methamphetamine, NPS (cathinones), heroin and cannabis resin (hashish), as well as tableting sites, drug waste dump sites and storage places;
• summarise how you can best protect yourself and the surroundings from these hazards;
• describe the procedures for using personal protective equipment (PPE) and respiratory protective equipment (RPE);
• list national bodies and organisations to cooperate with on the personal safety of officers and the protection of the general public in the immediate surroundings when investigating and dismantling illicit drug production sites, storage places, drug production-related transportation or drug waste dump sites.

It equips specialists with the knowledge necessary to perform their tasks at drug production sites. It functions as an introduction and reference material for advanced dismantling trainings on the application of knowledge and execution dismantling of site through extensive practical exercises. These trainings can be at either national or European levels. CEPOL and Europol jointly organise two of these trainings every year:
1. Dismantling illicit drugs laboratories: Advanced;
2. Dismantling illicit drugs laboratories: Follow-up.

EMPACT Drugs trafficking training resource

This module is not and must not be considered the only resource for professionalisation for officers who investigate or dismantle sites of illicit drug production.