Use case
Customs Screening for Narcotics Concealed on the Body
Detecting narcotics concealed on the body under clothing is incredibly challenging.
The challenge
Narcotics concealed on the body
Detecting narcotics concealed on the body under clothing is incredibly challenging. Technology has struggled to deliver effective solutions, and large-scale manual operations are intrusive, costly, and generally impractical. Authorities are looking for technologies capable of screening large numbers of people non-invasively for narcotics and other items of concern.
- Where
- Border crossings, for departing and arriving passengers
- Detects
- Concealments on the body and in body-worn and hand-carried bags
- Product
- Apstec Falcon Select
- Funding
- Selected as the sole equipment funded by the EU via the Pan European Network of Customs Practitioners
The solution
Falcon Select: non-invasive screening of the full height of the person
Apstec’s next-generation solution, Falcon Select, non-invasively screens the full height of the person for concealments on the body, as well as their body-worn and hand-carried bags. Falcon Select delivers a safe, unobtrusive screening operation that respects the right to privacy and improves the border-crossing experience for either departing or arriving passengers. Because of its high mobility and small footprint, it is also installed very quickly, offering a high degree of operational agility. The technology was selected as the sole equipment to be funded by the EU, via the Pan European Network of Customs Practitioners, to be developed specifically to deliver ‘Fast non-intrusive screening of passengers to detect and deter body-worn drugs’. The project is complete and the resulting Falcon Select solution delivers a powerful capability that complements existing Customs efforts to increase the effectiveness of operations in a proportionate, pragmatic, and affordable way.
>2,500 people / hour
screened by HSS Falcon Select
34% more cocaine
Global cocaine production rose 34 per cent in 2022 alone (UNODC, World Drug Report 2025)
68% more seizures
Cocaine seizures rose 68 percent between 2019 and 2023 (UNODC)
Challenges and requirements
Screening people at borders
A significant percentage of illicit drugs is still trafficked on people: passengers, crew and staff crossing borders. Technology detects concealments in freight; the same has not been true of screening people.
01
The scale of the task
Unless the screening process is free of any significant disruption, it is a non-starter.
02
Mobile and quick to move
Different entry points pose different risks, so technology should be relocated quickly to respond to higher risk scenarios.
03
Discriminative, not an anomaly detector
Travellers carry passports, books, food and drink. The technology must tell real items of interest from them, not raise alerts that need resolving.
The effect
HSS Falcon Select at the border
HSS Falcon Select is high-throughput screening equipment optimized to detect illegal drugs concealed on the body. It screens people without the need to remove either outer clothing or bags, and alerts in real time.
All or selected travellers
No preparation, no disruption
Enables screening of all or a selected group of higher risk travellers without any preparation by the person being screened or any disruption to the flow.
Drugs told apart from benign items
On the body and in bags
Detects materials with the characteristics of drugs concealed on the body and discriminates between them and benign items.
Mobile or permanent
In operation within minutes
Deployed in many scenarios or installed in a permanent location to meet the operational concept.
Alerts by themselves
Locally, to a control room or anywhere
It does not need to be operated: it generates alerts automatically, identifying the person and the location of the item of interest for rapid resolution.
Supports the officer's decision
A good trigger for behavioural detection
It simply provides information to support decision making for the customs organisation or the officer on the ground. It is proportionate and cost effective.
White Paper
Innovative Solutions to the Challenge of Detecting Body Worn Drugs
Narcotics trafficking across borders is a growing global challenge, with criminals constantly adapting their methods to evade detection. Customs authorities are under increasing pressure to protect borders while maintaining the smooth flow of people and goods. In this context, new screening technologies present opportunities to strengthen detection capabilities in a practical, efficient, and non-disruptive way.
Thank you
Why it works
Selected for customs operations
Following a competitive tender by the Pan European Network for Customs Practitioners (PEN-CP), Apstec’s HSS Falcon Select was the single product selected to be optimised to detect drugs.
01
A strong deterrent
Trafficking is often driven by financial gain, so technology designed to detect on-body concealments is likely to deter.
02
Real-time and non-invasive
No need to remove outer clothing or bags; travellers keep moving.
03
Safe and private
HSS Falcon Select is totally safe for all people and does not have any privacy issues.
04
Compact
134 × 239 × 62 cm, a 120 cm free passage and 130 kg for its two pillars.
Products
Our products
Questions
Screening at customs
Something else? Write to info@apstecsystems.com or call +46 8 525 130 65.
Why are customs hard to secure?
Detecting narcotics concealed on the body under clothing is incredibly challenging. Technology has struggled to deliver effective solutions, and large-scale manual operations are intrusive, costly, and generally impractical. Authorities are looking for technologies capable of screening large numbers of people non-invasively for narcotics and other items of concern.
How does Apstec screen at customs?
Apstec’s next-generation solution, Falcon Select, non-invasively screens the full height of the person for concealments on the body, as well as their body-worn and hand-carried bags. Falcon Select delivers a safe, unobtrusive screening operation that respects the right to privacy and improves the border-crossing experience for either departing or arriving passengers. Because of its high mobility and small footprint, it is also installed very quickly, offering a high degree of operational agility. The technology was selected as the sole equipment to be funded by the EU, via the Pan European Network of Customs Practitioners, to be developed specifically to deliver ‘Fast non-intrusive screening of passengers to detect and deter body-worn drugs’. The project is complete and the resulting Falcon Select solution delivers a powerful capability that complements existing Customs efforts to increase the effectiveness of operations in a proportionate, pragmatic, and affordable way.
Which Apstec products suit customs?
Apstec Falcon Select, which screens the full height of the person and their body-worn and hand-carried bags for concealments.
Use cases
