Antwerp University has unveiled a new device that should allow police and customs to find out more quickly what drugs they have found in drug seizures. The device could help in cases of suspected drug smuggling at airports or drug hauls in ports.
Together with Minister of the Interior Annelies Verlinden (Flemish Christian democrat/CD&V), Antwerp University showed off prototypes of a new device that should be able to quickly verify and analyse drugs and make the work of police and customs easier. By recognising drugs more quickly, their destruction can also be speeded up.
Three prototypes of this device have been unveiled so far. One is already ready for the market and can be used in ports and airports in cooperation with the university. The other two prototypes need more extensive testing before they can be used in practice.
"This device can help with the use of technology that already exists today, e.g. colour testing, which police already use in ports and airports. The device allows us to analyse samples more quickly, instead of first needing to send them to forensic labs and await a result."
This new device is not only a weapon in the fight against drug trafficking in the port of Antwerp. It will also be used in the Netherlands, says Ger Koomen of Dutch customs. "Among other things, this can help us detect drugs in containers. If we find drugs, we also have to establish that officially and that can be done more quickly using this tool. The device is very light, you can connect it to your mobile phone and is very convenient to use."
The project, an initiative of the European Union, is coordinated by Antwerp University. It receives support from other universities and 15 different partners from eight EU countries. Governments, police forces and Frontex, the European border service, have all collaborated in the development of the prototypes.