News
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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…
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PENTION Presented at European Commission Workshop on Research and Innovation Against Illicit Drugs
PENTION project was presented at the European Commission’s CERIS workshop on research and innovation against illicit drugs. On 5–6 May 2026, the European Commission hosted the workshop “Research and innovation against illicit drugs: from foresight to operational impact” in Brussels, bringing together policymakers, practitioners, EU agencies, researchers, civil society and industry to discuss how EU-funded…
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PENTION Project video: Strengthening Regional Cooperation
Our partner video series comes to an end with a key associated partner in the PENTION project. In this episode, we feature RIEC Limburg, representing the regional and operational perspective in tackling organised crime and synthetic drug production. Regions like Limburg are directly impacted by the rapid growth of synthetic drug activities, making local coordination…
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PENTION Project video: A Law Enforcement Perspective
Our partner video series continues with a key institutional actor in the PENTION project. In this episode, we feature the Netherlands Police, who bring essential operational insight into the fight against synthetic drugs. The rapid rise of new psychoactive substances represents a growing cross-border threat in Europe. Law enforcement agencies are at the forefront of…
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PENTION Project video: The Role of Research and Validation
This episode focuses on the academic dimension of the PENTION project. In this video, we feature the University of Sannio, a key academic partner in the PENTION project. Universities play a crucial role in bridging scientific research and technological innovation. Within PENTION, the University of Sannio contributes with its expertise to support the development, testing,…
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PENTION at EUROPOL’s Headquarters
Last week, PENTION joined Europol’s annual networking and alignment meeting bringing together Horizon Europe security projects at Europol’s Headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands. The event was a great opportunity to present the PENTION project to law enforcement agencies, EU institutions and fellow Horizon Europe projects, and to explore synergies with other cutting-edge security research…
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PENTION Project video: Advancing Technology for Synthetic Drug Detection
In this episode, we feature SN Innovative Technologies Inc., a key partner in the PENTION project. Within PENTION, Innovative Technologies contributes its expertise in advanced technologies to support the development of innovative solutions for detecting and identifying synthetic drugs and their precursors. By working on cutting-edge approaches and collaborating with partners across Europe, ITI plays…