IN THIS WAR, TECHNOLOGY IS KEY

Who is more tech-savvy--drug traffickers or federal agents? The
answer may determine who wins the war on drugs

The war on terrorism grabs most of the headlines these days, but the
war on drugs is still very much underway. With legal and illegal
entry into the country falling under heavier scrutiny, the work of
preventing terrorism and keeping illegal drugs out of the country
often overlap, and often put to use some of the same tools.

As with the war on terror, fighting drug use is a highly segmented
endeavor. Its missions include everything from after-school programs
to keep kids busy to elaborate sting operations targeting the
substances and those who make and move them. Various government
agencies still fight the war in traditional ways by patrolling
national borders in search of smugglers and searching out drug
producing operations. But nowadays those on the front lines of the
drug war are getting some pretty cool toys.

In the pitched battle surrounding illegal drugs, each side has its
advantages. Law enforcement can take advantage of private sector
expertise, expensive machines, and, of course, the law. Those who
cultivate, manufacture, and smuggle illegal drugs can leverage vast
sums of cash, generated by constant demand.

THE FIGHT CONTINUES. So who's winning? It's a tough call. According
to the United Nations, the North American cannabis--that is,
marijuana--market is the world's largest, worth anywhere from $10
billion to $60 billion, mostly fed by domestic production.

On the other hand, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control found in 2004
that about 20% high school seniors had used marijuana in the
preceding month. This was down from nearly 34% in 1980, but up from
14% in 1990. The long-term decline probably owes something to
high-schoolers knowing more about the potential harmful effects of
the drug. And sophisticated border surveillance techniques employed
by the Homeland Security Dept.'s Customs and Border Protection
Division may have affected the decline.

Of course, people trying to profit from the sale of drugs can be
tech-savvy as well; often they have to be if they're going to get
away with it. Law enforcement agencies have found hyper-sophisticated
hydroponic pot greenhouses as well as crude labs used to synthesize
crystal meth out of an ingredient found in over-the-counter medicine.
The toxic process requires some understanding of chemistry and an
ability to improvise uses for chemicals and materials found around
the house. When found, these labs must be dismantled by people
wearing hazardous material suits.

In the slide show, we take a look at some of the technologies that
the two sides of this war are using to outfox each other.