Development and evaluation of an iodoplatinate-based strip-type kit for on-site drug screening in beverages

Drug-facilitated crime (DFC) often involves the covert dissolution of illicit drugs into beverages, necessitating rapid on-site screening prior to confirmatory laboratory testing. In this study, an iodoplatinate-based strip-type kit specifically engineered for beverage matrices was developed to enable direct immersion and visual interpretation within 30 s without handling hazardous reagents. The stabilized precipitation endpoint provided enhanced visibility against diverse beverage backgrounds and supported straightforward dip-and-read operation. Following United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) recommendations for color testing, laboratory validation demonstrated appropriate selectivity, limit of detection (LOD), and precision for amine-containing illicit drugs. Applicability testing across 25 commercially available beverages showed that valid results were obtained in 19 matrices, while six exhibited matrix-related interference or insufficient migration. For the applicable beverages, matrix-specific LODs ranging from 0.2 to 1.0 mg/mL were determined for methamphetamine, ketamine, and cocaine. While several drug classes and chemically complex beverages remain outside the current analytical scope, the strip-type kit demonstrates feasibility for rapid, presumptive indication of beverage adulteration in DFC-relevant settings where immediate confirmatory analysis is unavailable.