Dubai Police’s ‘rapid test cup’ detects drugs within 10 mins

The Dubai Police have introduced the Rapid Test Cup, a groundbreaking device that ensures swift and accurate examination of narcotics, reducing detainee custody time from from seven hours to a mere 10 minutes. The Rapid Test Cup, unveiled at the World Police Summit, eliminates the chances of human error or bias, setting it apart from conventional testing.

The innovative device was designed to cover 13 types of modern drug groups listed in the schedules of the Federal Law on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. However, the journey to develop the Rapid Test Cup was challenging and it went through 3,272 trials to measure its effectiveness. “We are working hard to overcome the high-cost techniques traditionally used for detection such as manufactured cannabinoids, opiates, and ketamine. Our goal is to proactively detect modern drug abuse with quick, easy and high-quality screening techniques,” stated Faisal Al Taniji, head of the department of biological movement at the Narcotics Observatory Center, emphasising the global challenges in detection and examination.

“This project aligns with our administration's commitment to advancing the methods and tools employed in forensic evidence and criminology. We strive to provide advanced models that support laboratories, enhance performance levels, and facilitate optimal investment in testing techniques and tools,” shared Ibtisam Abdul Rahman Al-abdouli, director of the Drug Observatory Center at the General Administration of Forensic Evidence and Criminology in the press release.

Ibtisam Al Abdouli also indicated that intellectual property rights have been obtained for the contents and design of this product and that this technology is available through Dubai Police if criminal laboratories worldwide wish to acquire it.