2006 Press Releases
U.S. Coast Guard Trainers participate in Ion Scan Narcotics Detection Course
August 31, 2006
The Royal Bahamas Police Force (Drug Enforcement Unit Strike Force) hosted two U.S. Coast Guard trainers from the District Seven Tactical Law Enforcement Team for an Ion Scan Narcotics Detection System Basic Operator’s Course held from August 21-25, 2006. The course participants included seven members from the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) and seven members from the Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF).
The Ion Scan Narcotics Detection System is widely used by the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs/Border Protection, the Royal Bahamas Police Force, and the Royal Bahamas Defense Force for the purpose of detecting residue of narcotics in efforts to prevent drugs from being smuggled into the United States and the Bahamas at various ports of entry. The Ion Scan can detect up to the nano-gram of narcotic residue and is considered 99.9% accurate in determining if narcotics are present, or may have been present, in luggage, vehicles, aircraft or maritime vessels. This tool is especially useful for detecting narcotics that are located in hidden compartments or in locked areas. The basic theory behind the Ion Scan is the higher the reading received by the machine, the better the chances actual narcotics are present. This same device can be calibrated to detect residue from explosives and is widely used by the Transportation Security Administration at each of the airports in the United States.
This intense five-day course was designed specifically to take members from the Royal Bahamas Police Force and Royal Bahamas Defense Force whom had no prior experience with the Ion Scan and turn them into fully qualified operators. The course was also designed to establish set procedures to certify each of the students as samplers for Ion Scan testing. Past use of this detection device by U.S. and Bahamian authorities have resulted in successful, multi-kilo narcotic seizures at various ports of entry.
At the course closing ceremony, guest speaker Inspector Samuel Butler, of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, re-enforced the importance of partnership as exemplified by the U.S. Embassy provided training by stating, “What you have learned this week will significantly increase your law enforcement capabilities in the realm of stemming the flow of narcotics through our shared areas of responsibility. We expect you to use this knowledge and share this knowledge with other members in your organization for the benefit of all.”
The United States Coast Guard District Seven Tactical Law Enforcement Team, based out of Opa Locka, Florida, is considered the leading unit in the use of the Ion Scan Detection device.