MDCT Used to Detect Illegal "Dissolved” Drugs

The smuggling of dissolved drugs, in particular cocaine, in bottled liquids can be decreased with the use of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) scanning, according to a recent collaborative study.

The study was conducted by researchers from the Center for Forensic Imaging, Institute of Forensic Medicine at the University of Bern, and the Federal Customs Administration (FCA), also in Bern, Switzerland. The research originally consisted of MDCT scans of three wine bottles that contained cocaine solutions that were confiscated at the Swiss Border, according to Silke Grabherr, M.D., lead author of the study. Once the researchers conducted the scans of the 3 wine bottles, they did a simulated test using 12 wine bottles of which were 6 tainted with cocaine in various concentrations ranging from 10-120 g. MDCT accurately detected the bottles with the dissolved cocaine because cocaine shows an increase of the X-Ray attenuation, according to Dr. Grabherr.

According to Dr. Grabherr, fluoroscopy, traditional radiography and ultrasound have been used to detect hidden drugs, however, these techniques cannot detect dissolved drugs. "MDCT allows us to quickly detect cocaine solutions inside bottles without opening them and even without opening the cargo. If a suspicious cargo is scanned with a positive result, it can be tracked without arousing the suspicion of the smuggler. By utilizing the MDCT-screening method, the investigation does not leave any trace, therefore, smugglers won't know if their cargo was examined or not,” she said. "The fast acquisition of the data also allows screening of a large amount of cargo, for example a whole shipment, without delaying delivery of the cargo. By using the MDCT screening, the possibility that the drug [if it exists], is detected is much higher because every bottle in the cargo is examined.”

The study appears in the May 2008 issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.


Related Links:
University of Bern
Swiss Federal Customs Administration