AN INNOVATIVE PORTABLE AND NON-DESTRUCTIVE COCAINE/HEROIN DRUG DETECTOR

NARCOTIC DRUGS SUCH AS COCAINE AND HEROIN ARE A MAJOR THREATTO THE AMERICAN SOCIETY. NARCOTICS IS CONSIDERED BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT AS ONE OF THE HIGHEST PRIORITY PROBLEMS FACING THIS NATION AND THE WORLD ON THE WHOLE. THESE DRUGS ARE MANUFACTURED OUTSIDE THE U.S. AND BROUGHT IN FROM OTHER COUNTRIES. MARINE VESSELS ARE ONE OF THE MAJOR DRUG TRAFFICROUTES. IF THE DRUG TRAFFIC IS STOPPED OR REDUCED SUBSTANTIALLY IT WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT. THE EASY AND NON DESTRUCTIVE DETECTION OF THE NARCOTIC DRUGS CANPLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN THIS TASK. IT HAS BEEN VERY DIFFICULT TO DETECT COCAINE, HEROIN OR OTHER SIMILAR DRUGS RELIABLY ON MARINE VESSELS USING CONVENTIONAL METHODS. ESPECIALLY, COCAINE AND HEROIN HAVE HIGH VALUE ON THE BLACK MARKET. THEREFORE, THESE DRUGS CAN BE SHIPPED IN QUANTITIES EASILY CONCEALED ON CARGO TANK VESSELS, PLEASURE CRAFT OR IN CONTAINERS ONBOARD CONTAINER SHIPS. SUFFICIENTLY STRONG JUSTIFICATION IS NEEDED FOR THE COAST GUARD TO OPEN A SUSPECTED COMPARTMENT, BECAUSE SUCH ANOPENING USUALLY RESULTS IN THE DESTRUCTION OF AN AREA OF THEVESSEL. THEREFORE, JUSTIFICATION WITHOUT PHYSICAL EVIDENCE MAY CAUSE LOSS OF VALUABLE TIME AND EFFORT. A DETECTOR WHICH GIVES STRONG PHYSICAL EVIDENCE FOR CONCEALED COCAINE AND HEROIN IS ESSENTIAL FOR SUCCESSFUL NARCOTIC DRUGS SEARCHES. WE PROPOSE HERE A FEASIBILITY STUDY OF AN INNOVATIVE DETECTOR FOR REMOTE INSPECTION OF CONCEALED COMPARTMENTS FORCOCAINE AND HEROIN OR SIMILAR NARCOTIC DRUGS ON MARINE VESSELS OR OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES OF TRANSPORTATION SUCH AS AIRPLANES, HELICOPTERS, TRUCKS, CARS, ETC. PRELIMINARY TESTS CARRIED OUT ON THE PROPOSED TECHNIQUE HAVE BEEN VERY ENCOURAGING. IT IS A NON-DESTRUCTIVE TECHNIQUE AND IS EXPECTED TO WORK THROUGH ALL KINDS OF COMPARTMENT BARRIERS, SUCH AS WOOD, FIBERGLASS, PLASTICS, ALUMINUM AND STEEL. IT WILL BE PORTABLE SO THAT IT CAN BE HAND CARRIED AND POINTED AT SUSPECTED CONCEALMENT AREAS. IT WILL BE DESIGNEDTO HAVE COMPACT DIMENSIONS SO THAT IT WILL FIT INTO TIGHT ENVIRONMENTS.