officers set to be equipped with sophisticated "sniffers'' to detect minute traces of narcotics.

The $60,000 hand-held scanners will be tested by Customs chiefs tomorrow, a day before the Premier, Finance Minister and Home Affairs Minister test the technology.

The Royal Gazette has learnt the state-of-the-art devices will also be used by Police and Prison Officers, if Government can free enough cash.

And Customs insiders revealed yesterday that the sniffers -- or Ionscan detectors -- can turn up two-billionths of a gram of drugs.

They are also expert at tracing explosives.

Now Customs drugbusters plan to use the devices as part of on-going operations to track smugglers on cruise ships.

One Customs source said: "It is the very latest technology, developed by the National Research Council of Canada and Canadian Customs.

"It is distributed by Barringer Research and they are sending one of their leading executives to Bermuda to meet us.

"Everybody is very excited about this new device -- and Bermuda could become the smallest country in the world to have the technology.'' The scanners use tiny ion particles to detect even the smallest traces of drugs or explosives from swabs, usually from baggage handles.

Officers using the scanner would feed a cotton swab into the machine and the device lights up within five seconds if a drug is detected.

And within a few more seconds, the sniffer shows what type of drug has been traced.

Government officials are hoping to buy five of the specialist detectors.

The Customs source added: "They can detect minute traces -- down to two billionths of a gram.

"It's already used by the most up-to-date Customs teams around the world. And we would use it on a targeted basis.

"It would be used to check cargo, passenger baggage and air freight -- at the Airport or on the cruise ships.

"Passengers and crew coming off could be checked with the sniffers. All you need is a positive hit to show the person has been directly or indirectly in contact with drugs.'' It is understood Government are hoping to hand two scanners to Customs, two to Police and one to the Prison Service.

Hi-tech weapon set to be used for war against drugs Premier Pamela Gordon, Finance Minister Grant Gibbons and Home Affairs Minister Maxwell Burgess will see the technology first-hand for the first time at 3 p.m. on Friday.

They are due at Hamilton Customs to see how the scanners work. The Ionscan devices will not replace sniffer dogs. But another Customs officer, who asked not to be named, said: "Both we and the Police have very active anti-drugs efforts underway in terms of what's happening on the Island and how we can stop drugs coming into the Island.

"We have got resources dedicated specifically to interdicting drugs. This is a tool which we think will help make us even more effective.

"We are convinced it will produce results at a relatively low cost.'' Dave Martinak, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Barringer, has made the trip to Bermuda from the Canadian firm's New Jersey offices.

CUSTOMS CUS JAIL JAL POLICE POL