Secured by Design member company IDenta Corp offers drug detection field kits. The company’s products are used by government agencies, police, customs, military, border controls and fire services. A recent use was by Argentinian forces in the seizure of 400 kilograms of cocaine, valued at about $61 million, and by Brazilian forces in the seizure of 100 kilograms of heroin at GIG Airport in Rio de Janeiro.
The French Ministry of the Interior placed a $2 million order for IDenta to supply products for their government agencies and the Spanish Guardia Civil, German armed forces and the European Union in Africa all equip their forces with IDenta’s products. Yoni Yehudai, pictured, whose company Kinka Ltd is the worldwide representative for IDenta, talks.
Tell me about IDenta Corp? How long has it been in existence and how did it start out? How would you describe the company and its aims?
IDenta Corp was established in 2002. The two founders were Chief Officers from the Israeli police. One of them served as a special scientist in the Police Forensic Department. The company aims to develop, manufacture and market on the spot field detection kits for the identification of drugs, precursors of drugs, explosives and other forensic products while at the same time helping provide an enhanced level of safety for HazMat officers and DIM (Detection – Identification – Monitoring) teams.
IDenta use the latest in science and technology for their detection kits and provide the solution to a variety of customers all over the world in the security industry, defence industry and government agencies like law enforcement, military, customs, airports and more.
How would you describe your work?
I live in the UK and I am the owner and CEO of Kinka Ltd, a UK company based in London. Kinka Ltd represents a lot of security companies around the world, and IDenta is one of them. Company activities include marketing, exhibiting, right up to the sales, and engaged with government bodies and private companies.
Focusing on the IDenta Corp drug detection field kits, what makes them different from other similar products? What benefits do the IDenta field detection kits have over other such kits?
The IDenta Kits are a very reliable with no false positive results. They give results in seconds with no downtime required for laboratory work. This enables quick decisions by law enforcement agencies. The kits are general screening one-test that identifies the presence of 24 drugs, including date rape drug GHB. High sensitivity to detect trace amount. They are accurate even if/when the narcotic is mixed with other substances.
The kits are quick to use, eco-friendly, and offer a chemically-based solution to drugs testing simply by touching to detect and identify substances, even on ‘cleaned’ surfaces, plant leaves and when dealing with traces as small as nanograms. The IDenta kits basically bring the laboratory to the field so saves on laboratory costs too. The IDenta drug detection kits are Secured by Design accredited, having achieved the Police Preferred Specification.
How does the IDenta field detection kit help a police officer, and assist them preserve the evidence?
The IDenta kits are user friendly and safe as the user is not exposed to the chemical. The sampler is protected from any possible contamination, as it is immediately locked in and can be kept for several years if necessary with no storage limitation. This is the only kit in the world with no storage limit and expiration date of three years. Moreover, when you store the used kits, the results won’t change if the weather is freezing or very hot. The temperature doesn’t have an influence on the results.
What have been the major successes of the kits so far?
The IDenta kits are already been used in a lot of countries around the world in a different events with different law enforcement agencies – Germany, Israel, France, UK, India, USA, South America and even in countries like the UAE. Recent successes include Argentinian forces, who used the kits resulting in the seizure of 400 kilograms of Cocaine, valued at approximately $61 million, and by Brazilian forces in the seizure of 100 kilograms of Heroin at the GIG Airport in Rio de Janeiro.
The French Customs were so delighted with the kits that they put a film on YouTube with their comments https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgCOHkB3REo – you don’t need to speak French to understand and see the results!
How reliable are the IDenta field detection kits in respect of false positives which are sometimes thrown up by drug testing kits?
Since the product was launched, IDenta has not had any false results. This is why they are approved and used by top security organisations around the world.
Who is the target audience for these kits? Is it the police? Door staff at licenced premises?
There are two different markets. The first one is the law enforcement agencies like the police, prisons, customs and border control, government agencies and for explosives detection the military and fire service. The second market for drugs detections are night clubs, bars, and even the consumer markets like educational establishments and work places.
How does IDenta Corp stay ahead of the game when it comes to the evolution of new drugs?
As far as I am aware IDenta is unique as it is the only company that has their laboratories in-house. The Research and Development is continually innovating and as soon as a new drug appears in the market, the IDenta scientists are working to add it to the detection procedure in the kits. Our kits cover every drug that we know currently exists in the marketplace and we issue new kits when a new drug comes into the marketplace.
Anything else that you would like to add?
IDenta’s latest innovation is the AeroChamber – a first-of-a-kind sniffer with the ability to carry out both drug and explosive screening and detection missions in a fast, effective and reliable manner. The AeroChamber is already being used in airports, on passenger aircrafts, ports, law enforcement and other government agencies worldwide.
