CDEX Tests Hand-Held Meth Scanner for Market With Help of Local Law Enforcement

TUCSON, Ariz. — Several law enforcement agencies are testing a new hand-held scanning device designed to detect trace amounts of methamphetamine.

Tucson-based technology firm CDEX Inc. contracted with the Missouri Highway Patrol to supply its methamphetamine-scanner devices for field-testing. The Sheriff’s Department in Greenlee County, Ariz., is also currently testing the technology.

The hand-held device uses ultraviolet light to scan skin, clothing and surfaces for trace amounts — as little as one microgram — of methamphetamine, according to the company.

However, field-test results regarding the performance and accuracy of the scanner or validity of the technology have not yet been independently verified, officials say.

Critics question the admissibility of evidence gained through use of the scanner, suggesting that routine use of such scanners in the absence of a warrant or justifiable circumstances violates the constitutional ban against unreasonable search and seizure.

The prevalence of trace amounts of illegal substances in our everyday environment and the potential for contamination of law-abiding individuals has also prompted concern about the indiscriminate application of such technology.

Several government studies indicate that up to 80 percent of currency notes in circulation in large metropolitan areas are tainted with traces of illicit drugs, such as powder cocaine.

The law enforcement field tests and feedback from agencies led the company to revise several of the scanner’s features. The latest version of the hand-held device, which features a more ergonomic design, incorporates a range finder to enhance sensitivity and a laser pointer to improve target identification.

Under the terms of CDEX’s contract with the Missouri Highway Patrol, which is valued at approximately $75,000, the agency will receive the first 15 units of a 150-unit order at cost price. The company has also committed to establish production of the devices in the state if initial orders from Missouri and surrounding states exceed 500 units.

CDEX expects to launch the methamphetamine scanner on the market in 2008 and the company has plans to expand the technology to the detection of other substances, including illicit explosives and other illegal drugs, officials say.