A POCKET-SIZED detector that can instantly spot traces of illicit drugs could
be on the way. It would make life tougher for drug dealers by letting police
confirm immediately which drugs, if any, a person has handled.
At the moment, drugs and forensic evidence from drug busts have to be sent to
approved labs for analysis if the results are to stand up in court. For rough,
on-site testing, police use sniffer dogs and “ion scans”. Ion scanners are
around the size of a small fridge, says Chris Lennard from the Australian
Federal Police forensic laboratory in Canberra. Drug samples…
