Serbia: ICITAP Continues Partnership with DEA to Deliver Clandestine Lab Training

On September 27, ICITAP-Serbia, in partnership with U.S. European Command and the Drug Enforcement Administration, launched the second of two one-week courses on Advanced Clandestine Laboratory Investigation and Tactical Planning in Vrnjačka Banja, Serbia. Participating countries included Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia. This course is taught utilizing a composite team of one Serbian and five DEA instructors. The course is designed to provide a full-spectrum approach to diversion and chemical precursor proliferation. This one-week course is an advanced course that will teach previously trained students various raid planning and tactical techniques for high-risk toxic environmental conditions found in most clandestine laboratory and chemical trafficking site investigations.  The course involves site management, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and pre-operational planning considerations to safely conduct clandestine laboratory raids.  Once trained, it is expected that these agencies have the ability to respond by implementing proper health and safety considerations during tactical entries and while providing site security.  Topics to be covered include Clandestine Laboratory Raid Planning, Basic Raid Techniques, Clandestine Laboratory Raid Equipment, and extensive practical exercises Involving the Use of Air-Purifying Respirators (APR) and Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA).  A key component of this course is the utilization of PPE consisting of chemical protection suits, SCBA, and APR.  Students participate in 8 hours of classroom instruction and 32 hours of hands-on field experience with operational planning, evidence sampling, field-testing, and the use of safety equipment. The course was tailored directly to the Balkan region and the countries of interest.