This article first appeared in The Daily Tribune.
A Rigaku Raman spectrometer was recently used by authorities during a suspected narcotics interdiction at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in the Philippines.
According to news reports, a passenger preparing to travel from Manila to Davao on Sept. 17, 2026, was stopped after an X-ray screening of a belt bag revealed suspicious contents. A subsequent inspection uncovered a heat-sealed plastic container containing a white crystalline substance, along with suspected drug paraphernalia.
Authorities conducted additional screening and examination of the material, including involvement from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and a K9 inspection. A field examination using a Rigaku Raman spectrometer returned a positive result for methamphetamine hydrochloride. Approximately 1.5 grams of suspected shabu were reported to have been recovered.
The incident demonstrates how multiple screening and identification technologies can work together during airport security and counter-narcotics operations. Handheld Raman spectroscopy gives law enforcement, customs, and security personnel the ability to rapidly analyze unknown substances in the field, helping provide actionable chemical identification at the point of need.
Rigaku handheld 1064 nm Raman analyzers are designed for field identification of suspected narcotics, precursors, hazardous chemicals, and other substances encountered by law enforcement and public safety personnel."
Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Rigaku Analytical Devices.