Police in Caerphilly town have started testing revellers using a new drug detecting machine.
The new gadget, called Ion Track, uses a swab paper that’s wiped over a person’s hands to test for drugs including cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and cannabis.
On Friday December 14, the Caerphilly Neighbourhood Policing Team visited several pubs and tested 213 people.
In total, 32 people tested positive and and three people had illegal substances seized from them.
Police cannot use the result of the machine test as evidence, but it does give them grounds to search a person and question them.
The Ion Track can detect minute traces of drugs several days after a person has come into contact with them, even if they have washed their hands. The machine is so sensitive, police say, it can detect the equivalent in drugs of a grain of salt in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
Caerphilly Neighbourhood Sergeant Andy Down said: “Illegal drug activity is not tolerated in Caerphilly and we will continue to work alongside licensed premises in the town and surrounding wards, using this sophisticated equipment to carry out similar exercises in the future.
“Anyone who receives a positive test from the Ion Track can expect to be stopped and potentially searched and if they are found to be in possession of drugs they will be dealt with accordingly.”
A police spokeswoman said the three people found with drugs will be dealt with by a summons.
Surely this random testing must be an attack on their Human Rights and must class as an assault on the individual.
What world does Ron inhabit?