Hair scanner takes less than a minute to tell if a suspect abused drugs

SINGAPORE – Just clip the device onto a person’s hair, scan and, in under a minute, it would be able to tell if the individual is positive for drugs.

The result from the hair scanner is displayed on a laptop.

About the size of a laptop mouse, it does not require hair to be cut.

The scanner is one of the future technologies being assessed by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), and was featured at the CNB Workplan Seminar 2026 at the Singapore Expo on July 22.

The non-invasive device, currently being developed in-house by the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX), aims to improve CNB’s operational efficiency by simplifying and shortening the drug screening process.

Senior forensic scientist Ong Sheau Wei from HTX’s Forensics Centre of Expertise said the hair scanner uses spectroscopy, which records the wavelengths of light absorbed or emitted by hair.

She said Singapore is probably the only country exploring the use of such a device to detect drug use.

Another game changer that will make the job of a CNB investigator more efficient is NarcoNet, an AI-enabled platform that greatly reduces manual-entry investigative work.

The software can look at a suspect’s mobile phone and chat logs to discover incriminating discussions, photos or drug deals in any language.

Developed jointly by CNB and HTX, NarcoNet can take all the information gathered in a drug investigation and produce a statement of facts (SOF).

An investigator, who would normally take hours to prepare an SOF, will now be able to instantaneously generate an SOF via NarcoNet, which is targeted to be deployed by end-July.

Likewise, the Next Generation Reporting Centre was rolled out on July 1 at CNB Enforcement “E” Division. It automates the urine handling process, reducing the officers’ direct contact with samples and improves overall operational efficiency and hygiene.

Worrying drug trends

But concerns remain on the global drug stage, said Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Sim Ann, who delivered the opening address at the seminar.

In 2024, 331 million people aged 15 to 64 had used drugs in the past 12 months, a 34 per cent increase over the past decade, she said.

In June, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported that 349 tonnes of methamphetamines were seized in East and South-east Asia, a 48 per cent increase over the 236 tonnes seized in 2024, she added.

CNB dismantled 25 drug syndicates in 2025, with drug seizures valued at over $23 million.

But the threat to young people is ever present.

Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs Sim Ann views the Central Narcotics Bureau’s “Next-Generation Reporting Centre” at the exhibition during the Central Narcotics Bureau Workplan Seminar 2026. — Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs Sim Ann viewing the Central Narcotics Bureau’s Next-Generation Reporting Centre at the exhibition during the bureau’s Workplan Seminar 2026.

ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO

Out of the 1,188 new drug abusers arrested in Singapore in 2025, half were below 30 years old.

While meth continues to be the most commonly abused drug, cannabis is still a concern, as one in two new cannabis abusers arrested was below 30 years old.

Sim added: “These are not faceless numbers; they are our children, our students, our neighbours and our friends.

“We must continue to find new and engaging ways to drive home the messages about the harms of drugs.”

Chew Tuan Chiong, vice-chairman of the National Council Against Drug Abuse, said children today know a lot about drugs. And parents must make the effort to learn about drug prevention by speaking to their children.

He said: “When they (children) challenge you, and if the parent is not prepared and starts to give the wrong facts, then it might even be counterproductive.”

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