Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan's Central Customs Laboratory is hosting an international training seminar on modern methods for detecting, identifying and analyzing synthetic drugs and new psychoactive substances, organized in cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Chinese specialists.
The seminar brings together representatives of expert institutions from Uzbekistan, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
The main objective is to familiarize specialists with modern scientific and practical approaches to detecting emerging narcotic substances, improve laboratory analysis methods and strengthen the professional qualifications of forensic experts.
During the theoretical sessions, Chinese specialists delivered presentations on the properties of new psychoactive substances, including synthetic cannabinoids, cathinones and synthetic opioids.
Participants also examined methods for identifying these compounds and discussed modern analytical technologies used in laboratory investigations.
Representatives of the participating countries exchanged professional experience and reviewed trends in the spread of synthetic drugs, as well as challenges laboratories face when examining such substances.
Practical training sessions are scheduled for the second day of the seminar, using the analytical equipment and technical infrastructure of Uzbekistan's Central Customs Laboratory.
During these sessions, experts will analyze unidentified samples and evaluate the results of their examinations.
The seminar also supports the implementation of measures outlined in Uzbekistan's Presidential Decree No. UP-174 of 27 August 2026.
The decree provides for improvements in customs examination procedures, the introduction of mass spectrometry technologies to identify new narcotic substances and the expansion of regional exchanges of expertise.
In addition, the training aims to promote the wider application of scientifically grounded methods in forensic examinations and strengthen specialists' capabilities in using modern technologies for analyzing narcotic substances.
