Friday, April 3, 2009
not the good kind of cocaine torch...
this comes from BBC news and is really scary...
"An ultraviolet torch which shows certain drugs as glowing green is being used to catch cocaine-using clubbers.
Developed by JNE Marketing in Wrexham, the torch shines up traces of cocaine and amphetamine as bright green.
The 'cocaine torch', used by police, highlights traces of the substances on the nostrils and cheeks of users.
Sales and marketing manager Nick Hughes, 36, said: "Drug detection never crossed my mind until I stumbled upon other uses of UV light online."
The firm claims the torch is being used by police forces across the UK.
JNE Marketing, which has been supplying crime prevention products since 1990, was originally marketing a torch that could identify counterfeit currencies and identity cards.
"We're always looking for new products to tackle crimes, so it's only when conducting some general research that it struck me the torch could have a forensic use," said Mr Hughes, whose background is in business studies and marketing.
He approached a former client, a drugs liaison officer in Kent, to conduct some tests, and discovered the torch could also identify certain drugs, including cocaine, some ecstasy tablets and amphetamines.
The torch was piloted last weekend by police in Blackburn, Lancashire, where four men were stopped from entering a nightclub in the town centre.
Pc Andy Duxbury, from Blackburn police station, said: "We shone the torch onto people as they entered pubs and clubs.
"It showed up, as bright green, traces of cocaine left in people's nostrils or cheeks that'd normally be invisible to the naked eye."
He added: "It sends the right message and helps us to tackle illegal drug-use and its associated problems of violent crime."
He has just ordered a new batch of torches for the station and local pubs.
Mr Hughes said 20 police forces across the country have ordered, or expressed an interest in, the torches, and pub and nightclub owners have also ordered batches online.
But he never expected the torch would be used to spot-check clubbers.
"I'd only thought of the torch being used to expose surfaces where drugs had been, I didn't think of the benefits of it showing up drug-use on individuals," he said.
JNE Marketing has sold over 100 torches so far, and received interest from suppliers in the UK as well as from Africa, Canada and Buenos Aires."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
yikes, yeah the UK, along with china, is leading the world in terms of creating an orwellian nightmare.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-f9jcX9ao4&feature=player_embedded
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/mar/31/surveillance-transport-communication-box
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/mar/22/brown-counter-terrorism-al-qaida
you would think with that level of imposed control, the uk punk scene would be a cauldron of activity hell bent on smashing the state, but no uprising other than dumbasses drinking cider and punching themselves in their liberty spikes. crap... unless somewhere out there has heard of a true popular movement.
so yeah, they can see what's in your nose, where you drive and have a population trained to target any loiters. sounds fun!
ok maybe these tinyurls will post better. although may only fire for a limited time (no batteries included)
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/dev5zg
http://tinyurl.com/ckd9uz
http://tinyurl.com/c5lwg8