WADA builds on previous success by holding Intelligence & Investigations Capability and Capacity Building Project workshop in Thailand

This week, members of WADA’s Intelligence and Investigations (I&I) department were in Bangkok, Thailand for the fifth of six workshops as part of the expansion of its Intelligence & Investigations Capability and Capacity Building Project into Asia and Oceania.   

The five-day workshop – one of two to be held in Thailand – was hosted by Mahidol University and in partnership with International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL). The workshop brought together more than 20 representatives of law enforcement agencies and National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs) from across the region.  

The workshop is part of the Capability and Capacity Building Project, a key initiative contributing to the development of WADA’s Global Anti-Doping Intelligence and Investigations Network (GAIIN).  The representatives in attendance identified opportunities for collaboration between NADOs and law enforcement, and focused on a number of important I&I topics, including intelligence functions and investigative techniques; confidential source management; open-source research; and analytical and interviewing methods.  

Head of WADA’s Confidential Information Unit, Damien Larin, said: “WADA is pleased to be in Thailand for the fifth workshop of the Intelligence & Investigations Capability and Capacity Building Project in Asia and Oceania. We are grateful for the support and hospitality of Mahidol University and the support of Interpol over the course of the week and are encouraged by the engagement and enthusiasm displayed by the participants. We are already seeing tangible outcomes as a result of these workshops in other parts of the Asia and Oceania regions, and are optimistic that the workshops held in Thailand will lead to similar results across Southeast Asia.” 

Associate Professor Dr. Nathinee Panvisavas, Laboratory Director, National Doping Control Centre (NDCC) said: “We were happy to have had the opportunity to welcome WADA and the participants from around the region to the first of two workshops here in Thailand. The Capability and Capacity Building Project continues to play an important role in building Intelligence and Investigations capability and capacity in the Asia and Oceania region, and the groundwork laid this week provided valuable knowledge for the participants who can take these lessons back to their organizations and implement them effectively. We are already counting down the days until the next workshop, which will take place in November.” 

The expansion of the project builds off the success of the I&I Capability and Capacity Building project in Europe that was carried out from 2022-2024. It involves anti-doping organizations (ADOs) and law enforcement agencies from every country in Asia and Oceania. Workshops have already taken place in Australia, India and Saudi Arabia.