News
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PENTION Workshop Agenda Now Available!
The PENTION Online Workshop will connect operational perspectives with technological development. The agenda will include: Join us on 8 September 2026, 15:00 CEST, register here!
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Discover PENTION: Watch the Animated Video
What is PENTION about? PENTION is an EU-funded Horizon Europe project developing advanced vapour detection technologies to support the identification of synthetic drugs, new psychoactive substances, precursors and potential clandestine production sites. Our animated video presents the project concept in a simple and accessible way, showing how mobile vapour detection can support authorities in operational…
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Why the PENTION Workshop Matters
Synthetic drug production is an evolving challenge for law enforcement, customs and security authorities. New substances, changing production methods and complex supply chains require detection capabilities that are sensitive, portable and aligned with operational needs. This is the focus of the upcoming PENTION Online Workshop. The session will explore how operational requirements can inform the…
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Save the Date: PENTION Online Workshop
The PENTION Online Workshop will take place on 8 September 2026, from 15:00 to 16:00 CEST. Under the title “From operational needs to detection capabilities: the PENTION Project Approach”, the workshop will bring together project partners and relevant stakeholders to discuss synthetic drug-related threats, operational needs and advanced vapour detection technologies. The session will include…
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Subscribe to the PENTION Newsletter!
Want to stay updated on PENTION? The first PENTION newsletter will be released in September, sharing project updates, upcoming activities, partner insights and news on advanced vapour detection technologies for synthetic drug-related threats. By subscribing, you will receive concise updates on: Subscribe to the PENTION newsletter and follow the project journey:
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New EU Controls on Drug Precursors Highlight the Importance of Early Detection
New EU controls on high-risk drug precursors show why detection matters. In April 2026, the European Union Drugs Agency reported that the European Commission had introduced EU-wide controls on nine high-risk precursor chemicals used in illicit drug production, under Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/314 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32026R0314). Eight of these precursors are linked to synthetic cathinones, while one…
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Drug Labs Are Becoming a Public Safety Risk for Local Communities
Drug labs are increasingly becoming a neighbourhood safety issue. According to the Dutch Police, in 2025 authorities identified 142 locations in the Netherlands where synthetic drugs, heroin and/or cocaine, were being produced. The same report notes that 88 locations were linked to synthetic drug production such as MDMA, methamphetamine and amphetamine. This shows how illicit…
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PENTION at the Projects to Policy Seminar 2026
Last week, PENTION joined dozens of fellow Horizon Europe security projects in Brussels for the Projects to Policy Seminar, organised by European Commission’s DG HOME and European Research Executive Agency (REA). Across two intense days, we sat down with projects working on fighting crime and terrorism, border management, disaster-resilient societies and resilient infrastructure, each tackling…
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Industrial-Scale Drug Labs in Europe Highlight the Need for Early Detection
Industrial-scale clandestine labs are no longer isolated events. In April 2025, Europol reported the dismantling of a massive synthetic drug laboratory in Bree, Belgium, with the capacity to produce hundreds of kilos of synthetic drugs per month. The operation involved Belgian police, the Lab Dismantling Team, forensic specialists and Europol. This highlights a key operational…
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The European Drug Market Is Changing: Why Detection Technologies Must Evolve
The European drug market is changing, and detection must change with it. The European Union Drugs Agency’s Report 2025 highlights that drug availability remains high across substance types, with a wider range of high-potency and novel substances creating growing health and security risks. For authorities, this means one major challenge: how to identify what is…