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TruNarc in Action
Read recent news stories highlighting the success of the Thermo Scientific TruNarc Handheld Narcotics Analyzer in the field.
For information about related products, visit the Safety and Security Threat Detection storefront.
Technology for the safety of first responders
The TruNarc analyzer has enabled CBP to increase fentanyl seizures dramatically without compromising officers’ safety. Better technology and processes can indeed keep dangerous drugs out of the wrong hands, and, literally, out of the exposed hands of law enforcement officers.
Phoenix PD using high-tech device to identify dangerous drugs and protect officers
There's a high-tech tool the Phoenix Police Department is now using to protect officers and make drug arrests more efficient. It's called TruNarc. It's a handheld narcotics analyzer that uses laser technology to detect more than 400 different substances.
TruNarc makes Camden County deputies more efficient
TruNarc utilizes a proven scientific method for the analysis of seized drugs.
Snohomish County deputies get TruNarc to help with drug investigations
Snohomish County deputies are getting a new tool to help with drug investigations. TruNarc is a sensor that can identify a drug through its packaging.
Dutch police seize 2.5 tonnes of crystal meth
Police in Rotterdam have found 2.5 tonnes of the drug methamphetamine in a secret room at a warehouse, in what is thought to be the biggest seizure of its kind in Europe.
$140 Million worth of methamphetamine found in van
Police have charged a man after methamphetamine valued at more than 140 million USD was found in a van he crashed into police cars parked outside a Sydney police station.
Kentucky drug task force agencies get Trunarc
Eleven drug task force agencies across Kentucky are using a new hand-held device that gives them the ability to analyze drugs in the field before sending them to a lab. The TruNarc device uses laser technology to identify a wide range of drugs, including heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and the potent synthetic opioid fentanyl, which can be harmful or even deadly, if absorbed through the skin or inhaled.
2000 Liters of raw material used for drug manufacturing identified with TruNarc
The Florida Highway Patrol deployes TruNarc to help them test drugs
Troopers say the device gives them added protection, especially if they end up stopping someone who has fentanyl or carfentanyl, a drug that can be deadly. Troopers say the TruNarc device can analyze a substance and tell the trooper what it is within about two to three minutes. And that evidence is admissible in court.
Authorities in Indonesia use TruNarc to identify 25kg in meth
See the TruNarc Handheld Narcotics Analyzer in action in Aceh Indonesia.
TruNarc helps police bust one of Europe’s biggest “meth labs”
A major drug ‘cook’ from the Netherlands was caught by German police and lsent to prison for 10 years for running one of the largest methamphetamine labs ever found in Germany, thanks to the TruNarc Handheld Narcotics Analyzer, which was used to identify chemicals found in his lab.
Technology that helps fight fentanyl, the deadliest drug in America
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid analgesic that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent.
Technology's role in the fight against narcotics
Technology in the field, including the tried and true Thermo Scientific TruNarc, is helping law enforcement officials stay safer and increasing their situational awareness when encountering both old and new narcotics.
Sheriff purchases TruNarc analyzer with grant
Hillsdale County Sheriff purchases a TruNarc Handheld Narcotics Analyzer, made possible by a $108,000 grant through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant.
Can law enforcement officers be kept safe on the job?
Various police departments across the United States are using TruNarc Handheld Narcotics Analyzers to help combat the opioid epidemic – and keep themselves safe – by carefully identifying unknown substances in the field.
Lenawee police get handheld drug scanners
TruNarc Handheld Narcotics Analyzers, which can detect narcotics at the scene, have been purchased by the Adrian Police Department and the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office.
Into the Tech features the Gemini Analyzer
Fox 25 Boston profiles the Gemini Analyzer
First Responder Fridays
Fox 25 Boston profiles the TruNarc Handheld Narcotics Analyzer.
TruNarc keeps first responders safe in San Diego
San Diego Sheriff's Department just bought 15 TruNarc devices. The hand-held scanners can detect and identify drugs without the deputies having to come into physical contact because the TruNarc uses laser technology to scan through plastic bags. This technology has become increasingly important with the rise of drugs like Fentanyl. Just a microscopic amount can cause an overdose, which has made first responders wary of handling it.
TruNarc used in million dollar drug bust in Australia's Gold Coast
A new weapon is helping specialist Gold Coast police wage the war on illegal drugs. "Essentially, it's like having a mobile drug lab in your briefcase," Bond University criminologist Terry Goldsworthy said.
Arkansas purchases TruNarc to identify drugs on the spot
There have been multiple instances of Arkansas law enforcement officers needing medical attention after handling unknown drugs. TruNarc can identify any illegal substance based on the chemical compound directly through the container, keeping officers safe.
State buys 5 TruNarc Analyzers to scan drugs, keep officers safe
Arkansas authorities said Wednesday that new technology purchased by the state will expedite drug identification and save law enforcement officers' lives. TruNarc will allow officers to identify a narcotic within minutes -- enabling officers to make arrests quicker and collect evidence without the danger of being exposed to dangerous drugs.
TruNarc to help first responders detect drugs in minutes
On Wednesday, The Arkansas Drug Director Kirk Lane unveiled a new device called TruNarc, which can detect over 450 different drugs digitally in just minutes.
"The neat thing about it is you can actually use the laser through the packaging that the controlled substance is in without even opening that package," Lane said. It safely expedites the process of finding out what substance someone may have overdosed on.
California police departments adopt a hands-off approach to suspected drug testing with the TruNarc analyzer
La Mesa is one of several local law enforcement agencies in recent months to acquire the handheld TruNarc Analyzer, which allows officers to keep suspected narcotics, including fentanyl, securely encased in its packaging.
TruNarc analyzer gives Greenville police an extra layer of protection
Greenville, SC Police now have a new device called the TruNarc Analyzer to keep officers safe in the fight against dangerous opioids like fentanyl and other deadly street drugs.
The device screens through sealed packages of suspected drugs. It then analyzes and screens for more than 400 legal and illegal drugs in a matter of seconds without exposing the officer to the potentially dangerous substance.
TruNarc analyzer keeps Northwest Indiana officers safe from fentanyl
Faced with the fentanyl epidemic, the Lake County Sheriff's Department Drug Task Force, along with Porter County Sheriff's Department and Portage police, turned to the TruNarc Handheld Narcotics Analyzer, a handheld device that uses a laser to scan and identify a substance without exposing officers to the drug.
"We always use the TruNarc first," Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. said.
Read the Chicago Tribune article
TruNarc device will help Porter County officers ID drugs without direct contact
Law enforcement officers in Porter County have a new tool to help prevent them from coming into contact with dangerous drugs.
The Porter County Sheriff's Department now has the TruNarc Handheld Narcotics Analyzer, a device that uses a laser and spectrometry to scan suspected drugs while they're still in their package, so officers don't have direct contact with fentanyl and other deadly drugs.
Sheriff's Office advances technology to improve safety, accuracy
Last month, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office received a grant for a handheld narcotics analyzer called TruNarc, which accurately identifies drugs in minutes and can improve the safety of officers as well as help citizens.
The agency used the TruNarc analyzer for the first time around Jan. 19, when they found a drug dealer in Waldorf with more than $3,000 worth of heroin mixed with fentanyl. By using the TruNarc analyzer directly on the scene, officers were able to quickly identify that the heroin contained fentanyl, which is a very dangerous drug to handle.
Indiana State Police use DOJ grant to buy TruNarc analyzers
The Indiana State Police has purchased three additional TruNarc analyzers with funding from the Department of Justice. The new purchase complements five TruNarc units already deployed by the agency.
“There are drugs out there that are made to look like they’re illegal drugs, but they’re not,” Sgt. John Perrine of ISP said. “This will allow us to determine whether they’re real or fake drugs.”
Watch the story on a local news program.
TruNarc analyzer a game changer in Fort Wayne
The Fort Wayne Police Department has deployed the TruNarc analyzer, giving law enforcement the opportunity to identify drugs like never before. Describing the TruNarc analyzer as a game changer, Fort Wayne Police Sgt. Jonathan Bowers says the analyzer gives officers rapid information on "what's being shipped in, what's being sold, what's being bought, what's being seized and what people are addicted to right now."
"For us, we need to know day-to-day what we're actually buying and seizing, so to have good quality lab results either immediately or within an hour or two totally changes the game for us," Bowers says. See the story on NewsChannel 15, a local news source.
TruNarc analyzer decreases case backlog by nearly 90%
Collaborating to reduce the social burden of illicit drugs, the New South Wales (Australia) Police and NSW Health Pathology were recent finalists in the NSW Innovation and Health Symposium 2015, held in Sydney.
Since 2013, the team has deployed the TruNarc analyzer to identify suspected drugs at the crime scene. On-site analysis limits the need to send less-than-trafficable quantities to a forensic lab, and frees up staff time for other tasks. As a result of the collaboration, a backlog of 2,500 cases in 2013 was reduced to less than 300 by the end of 2014.
Handheld narcotics analyzer now detects emerging drug threat fentanyl and additional synthetics
Narcotics officers, customs personnel and military police can now quickly and safely identify fentanyl, a potent emerging drug threat in the United States and worldwide, with the TruNarc Handheld Narcotics Analyzer.
The newest update, TruNarc v1.5, expands the TruNarc analyzer’s onboard library and enables the detection of fentanyl, additional NBOMes and other emerging synthetic cannabinoids while maintaining the core functionality of the analyzer. A single test in the field allows law enforcement officials to immediately identify a wide range of drugs and stay ahead of evolving narcotics threats without requiring the use of laboratory time and resources for analysis.
A synthetic opiate, fentanyl is 30-50 times more potent than heroin in certain forms and can cause fatal overdoses. It was the subject of a United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) alert in May after the National Forensic Laboratory Information System (NFLIS) reported an overwhelming surge in fentanyl-related seizures in the United States, from 942 in 2013 to 3,344 in 2014. Because fentanyl is absorbed by the skin, it poses a significant risk to law enforcement officials. With the TruNarc analyzer, responders have the ability to sample most substances through sealed packaging, increasing officer safety.
Previous library updates have equipped the TruNarc analyzer to identify other growing threats, such as alpha-PVP (also known as "flakka" or "gravel"), a synthetic cathinone that was banned by the DEA in 2014 but has seen a spike in usage, specifically in the southeastern United States.
The TruNarc v1.5 library update can be downloaded onto an existing analyzer through an internet connection.
DEA press release supports the significance of fentanyl detection
According to a recent DEA press release, "In the last two years, DEA has seen a significant resurgence in fentanyl-related seizures. According to the National Forensic Laboratory Information System (NFLIS), state and local labs reported 3,344 fentanyl submissions in 2014, up from 942 in 2013. In addition, DEA has identified 15 other fentanyl-related compounds."
"Fentanyl is a Schedule II narcotic used as an analgesic and anesthetic. It is the most potent opioid available for use in medical treatment - 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin. Fentanyl is potentially lethal, even at very low levels. Ingestion of small doses as small as 0.25 mg can be fatal. Its euphoric effects are indistinguishable from morphine or heroin."
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