Narco bots to patrol BIA

The Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) yesterday deployed two robots to detect narcotics and explosives at the Bandaranayake International Airport (BIA). 

The deployment, the first of its kind in Sri Lanka according to the Police, saw two autonomous robots which can detect trace evidence of narcotic and explosive substances deployed to the departure and arrival lounge of the airport. 

Both systems had been gifted to the police by the Chinese Government to the Sri Lanka Police Department. The Chinese Government also provided handheld narcotics and explosives detectors, vehicle and other security equipment to the Police after the Easter Sunday Bombings this year. 

According to the Police spokesman, each robot is valued at Rs. 80 million and a team of police and Special Task Force (STF) officers had undergone training program conducted by Chinese experts in Colombo recently. 

Each robot can autonomously patrol a designated area once programmed, and detect minute traces of narcotics by using an advanced scanning array system, a PNB source told Daily FT, although they would not comment on the detection range or technical performance of the trace detector system.

The robot has a built-in scanner that allows the police officer to place swaps or special strips used to test luggage for the presence of narcotics or explosives and get results on to a personal digital device, greatly improving the BIA police units’ mobile detection capability. The Police plans to field more high-tech equipment to combat drug trafficking in the future.