Bilaspur, June 27: In a first-of-its-kind initiative in Himachal Pradesh, the Bilaspur district administration has initiated the procurement of an advanced SoToxa Mobile Drug Testing System to strengthen the state’s fight against chitta (adulterated heroin) and other narcotic substances.
The system, procured through the District Mineral Foundation Trust (DMFT) at an estimated cost of Rs 19 lakh, is expected to be inaugurated soon by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Deputy Commissioner Rahul Kumar said on Saturday.
The portable system can detect the presence of narcotic substances from a saliva sample and generate results within five minutes. It is capable of screening six major categories of drugs, including methamphetamine (chitta), amphetamines, benzodiazepines, cannabis (THC), cocaine and opiates.
The DC said that the state government is pursuing a zero-tolerance policy against drug abuse and trafficking with the objective of not only dismantling drug networks but also protecting the youth from the growing menace of substance abuse and this initiative will enable law enforcement agencies to carry out rapid and scientifically validated on-the-spot testing.
He said that Bilaspur will become the first district in the state to deploy the SoToxa mobile drug detection technology. Initially, one device will be introduced as a pilot project and additional units will be procured in subsequent phases based on its operational performance and accuracy.
Kumar said the technology would significantly strengthen random screening during special enforcement drives, police checkpoints, public gatherings and other sensitive locations by allowing a large number of individuals to be tested quickly, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of anti-drug operations.
Highlighting the system’s advanced capabilities, he said that it would also incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based analytics. Data generated from the tests will be scientifically analysed to identify drug abuse hotspots, trafficking patterns and emerging trends.
The findings will be shared with the police department to support evidence-based planning and enable targeted enforcement against organised drug networks.
The SoToxa system is equipped with several advanced features, including QR code-based sample identification, automated quality control, secure digital storage of thousands of test records and instant report generation, ensuring greater transparency, reliability and efficiency in the testing process.
