LASER REMOTE SENSING FOR DRUG INTERDICTION

THERE IS A NATIONAL NEED FOR EFFICIENT MEANS OF LOCATING ILLEGAL DRUGS AND THEIR MANUFACTURING SITES. WE PROPOSE THE USE OF LASER REMOTE SENSING. DRUG MANUFACTURING SITES WOULD BE LOCATED BY SENSING THEIR ASSOCIATED CHEMICAL REAGENTS. THIS COULD LIKELY BE DONE WITH A LASER BEAM INVISIBLE TO THE EYE. REMOTE SENSING OF CHEMICALS USING LASERS IS UNRIVALED IN TERMS OF SENSITIVITY; SPECIES SELECTIVITY AND HIGH DATA RATE. SPECIES CONCENTRATIONS OF THE ORDER OF TEN PARTS PER BILLION IS ROUTINELY DETECTED USING LASER SENSORS. BY MATCHING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LASER INDUCED SPECTRA OF THE SPECIES BEING STUDIED WITH KNOW CHEMICALS, POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION IS POSSIBLE. WITH THE USE OF HIGH-REPETITION RATE LASERS TO SCAN THROUGH SUSPECTED AREAS, DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS CAN BE PERFORMED INSTANTANEOUSLY. LASER-BASED REMOTE SENSORS SHOULD GREATLY ENHANCE THE CAPABILITY OF DRUG ENFORCEMENT. ANTICIPATED BENEFITS/POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS - THE PROPOSED INSTRUMENT WOULD USE LASERS TO DETECT CHEMICAL AGENTS SUCH AS ILLEGAL DRUGS AND THEIR PRECURSOR CHEMICALS. IT WOULD BE SOLD TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. THREE APPLICATIONS ARE BEING CONSIDERED: (1) REMOTE DETECTION OF SOUTH AMERICAN DRUG MANUFACTURING SITES FROM AN AIRPLANE (OR SATELLITE), (2) REMOTE DETECTION OF SUBURBAN OR RURAL DRUG MANUFACTURING SITES IN THE U.S. FROM AN AIRPLANE, AND (3) DETECTION OF ILLEGAL DRUGS AS THEY PASS THROUGH CUSTOMS. KEY WORDS - DRUG INTERDICTION, LASER REMOTE SENSING, ILLEGAL DRUGS.