We are proud to introduce one of our key partners: SwabTek.

SwabTek’s test kits are designed to provide a range of front-line professionals (ranging from forensic operators and police to local school teachers) with a safe and effective tool to detect harmful substances. Previously the presumptive field-testing industry has lacked any real innovation for decades. Because of this lack of technological advancement, professionals in need of such a solution (such as the police), have been forced to use alternatives that are both unreliable and dangerous due to the toxic reagents they require.

To combat this problem, SwabTek was founded. Their safe, easy-to-use presumptive tests are designed with the user in mind and to put field testing back in the hands of frontline security professionals. SwabTek’s dry, paper-based tests also make it possible to take presumptive testing to new spaces, such as classrooms and even consumers’ homes, where field testing hasn’t been possible before.

Combatting Fentanyl 

SwabTek’s test kits cover a variety of dangerous substances and explosive chemicals making them a versatile solution capable of assisting all frontline professionals. One of their most prominent tests is targeted at detecting traces of Fentanyl. Fentanyl is an incredibly dangerous compound that is 50 times stronger than Heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Some of its analogues stretch much further in their potency with one known as Carfentanil being 10,000 times stronger than Morphine. It is cheap to produce, and it can increase the euphoric feelings created by drugs like methamphetamine & cocaine which is why it’s being selected as a cutting agent. The dark side of this however is that it’s a killer. This powerful Opioid interferes with the parts of the subject’s brain stem which govern the depth and rate of breathing in a way that can slow and then stop their respiratory system leading to a Pulmonary Edema. Its widespread introduction combined with these lethal effects has led to it causing large swaths of overdoses. In fact, since 2020 in the USA, Fentanyl was the leading cause of death for those aged 18-45. Read the full article here.

Fortunately, so far the use of Fentanyl in Australia has been limited by comparison, but this is likely to change. In February this year authorities found 11.2kg of pure fentanyl alongside 30kg of methamphetamine disguised in industrial equipment. In the following press conference ABF commander James Watson gave insight into how significant the amount of Fentanyl was “Typically, we would only see fentanyl being detected in quantities of 1 g or less, so to have a detection that is 11 kg pure, is just quite frankly extraordinary,” Watson said. “I’d describe it as a total act of bastardy.”

See Us At The ANZFSS Symposium  

SwabTek’s mission is to provide frontline professionals with the tools needed to discover traces of harmful chemicals like Fentanyl quickly to know whether the compounds warrant further analysis. At RollsTechGlobal when we were introduced to SwabTek we were blown away by their technology and saw the enormous potential in their safe, fast and effective kits right away and were eager to distribute these incredible kits to Australia’s police force, border force and local schools.

SwabTek will join us at the ANZFSS symposium in a few weeks’ time to demonstrate their kits first-hand so if you’re attending please come and say hello!