‘Rapid Test Cup’ invented in Dubai detects 13 types of narcotics, cuts lab processing from 7 hours to 10 minutes
New test ensures quick turnaround, accurte test of psychotropic substances
Dubai: The “Rapid Test Cup”, a quick narcotics-detection technique developed in Dubai, was demonstrated at the World Police Summit following rigorous tests to confirm its effectiveness, reliability and high accuracy.
The device accelerates the examination of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, thereby reducing detainee detention time from 7 hours to 10 minutes, while ensuring no human interference in interpreting the results.
The new Rapid Test Cup technique allows law-enforcement experts to detect 13 types of modern narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
Rapid test developed in Dubai
The solution, now covered by an Intellectual Property (IP) rights registration, is one of the innovations developed by the Dubai Police’s General Department of Forensic Evidence and Criminology.
First Expert Ebtisam Abdul Rahman Al Abdouli, the Director of the Drug Surveillance Centre at the General Directorate of Forensic Evidence and Criminology, emphasised that the project forms part of the department’s commitment to enhance the methods and tools to help in the fight against crime.
The test introduces sophisticated models that enhance crime laboratory capabilities, elevate performance standards, and maximise efficiency of testing techniques and tools used in lab settings.
Knowledge transfer
The “Rapid Test Cup” project has been subjected to several stages of calibration to measure its efficiency – and after 3,272 tests, the effectiveness of the examination results was confirmed.
The World Police Summit, Al Abdouli said, is an opportunity to transfer knowledge, experiences and practices applied by Dubai Police, which help enhance international communication in the field of evidence and criminology.
Intellectual property
Al Abdouli also pointed out that IP rights registration has been obtained for the contents and design of the “Rapid Test Cup” system.
She said the technology is available upon request through Dubai Police in the event that crime laboratories at the state level wish to obtain it.
Meanwhile, First Expert Faisal Al Tunaiji, Head of the Biological Movement Department at the Drug Surveillance Centre, said the world is facing challenges in detection and examination.
In routine procedures, high-cost techniques are used for detection of substances – such as manufactured cannabinoids, manufactured opioids, ketamine and others.
“Today, we are working hard to take proactive steps to detect modern drug abuse with fast, easy and high-quality screening techniques,” Al Tunaiji said.
This technology behind “Rapid Test Cup” allows it to detect 13 types of modern narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances listed in “Schedules” annexed to Federal Law on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.