CNB ramps up use of AI, virtual reality to stay ahead of evolving drug threats

The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) unveiled new tech initiatives on Wednesday (July 22) that incorporate artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality and automation to guard against evolving drug threats in Singapore.

Speaking at the CNB Workplan Seminar held at the Singapore Expo, Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Sim Ann highlighted the growing global drug issue and the threat it poses to Singapore.

She said: "The world drug problem is not a distant one. Our strategic position as an international air and maritime hub exposes us to the full force of this global threat."

Against this backdrop, Sim unveiled CNB 2030, a transformation effort that will see the agency adopt new technologies across operations, from drug detection to officer training and the rehabilitation of drug supervisees. These are meant to strengthen capabilities against evolving drug threats.

In particular, Sim highlighted the use of virtual reality technology to complement classroom learning for CNB officers.

With the Virtual Reality Court Craft Training System, CNB officers can practise courtroom testimony and cross-examination techniques within an interactive virtual courtroom environment that provides verbal input, real-time feedback and performance tracking.

AI is another key driver that will transform CNB's investigative work.

NarcoNet, a multimodal AI-powered platform developed by HTX, is a new tool that will soon be introduced to help streamline and accelerate processes that were previously manual.

"The tool can detect, flag and summarise incriminating information from text, audio, and video sources — and automatically populate drug case exhibit templates," said Sim, adding that officers can instead focus on more significant investigative tasks.

For example, NarcoPilot is a feature that can help officers sift through large volumes of chat logs to find specific keywords such as drug slang or images of drug paraphernalia. 

Additionally, CNB will also employ an AI-Enabled Video Evidence Review technology, which can transform unstructured video data into actionable insights, allowing officers to extract relevant scenes containing objects, persons of interest or actions without the need to sift through entire recordings manually. 

"This can significantly cut down the time spent on trawling through the video footages," Sim said.

Lastly, CNB will also leverage automation and robotics, with an Automated Exhibit Management System that is set to be commissioned in the last quarter of the year.

The system will automate drug exhibit photography, weighing, labelling, packing and sealing, effectively reducing the risk of human error from manual handling, and enhancing evidential integrity.

Other technologies include CNB's Next Generation Reporting Centre, which automates the urine procurement process, and Automated Armoury system that was rolled out earlier this year.

[[nid:740593]]

[email protected]