Network of HTX labs at checkpoints to detect threats
With experts in fields as diverse as forensics, biometrics and robotics, the new Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) has placed itself firmly in the front line when it comes to keeping the nation safe. Health and science editor Chang Ai-Lien gets an exclusive look at the agency's high-tech methods of solving crime, saving lives and safeguarding borders.
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Chang Ai-Lien
At the HTX Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE) laboratory at Woodlands Checkpoint, vehicles are screened for security-sensitive substances ranging from chemical agents to drugs.
Drivers, for one, are profiled and some are caught for taking methamphetamine or Ice - a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system - to keep them awake and alert.
