Oklahoma authorities use scanners to seize drug money

TULSA, Okla. (AP) – Oklahoma authorities are using a new device during traffic stops to seize money loaded onto prepaid debit cards by alleged drug traffickers.

At up to $8,000 per portable scanner, the program has only been in the field for about six weeks, but supporters of the technology say the equipment is an important tool for law enforcement agencies to disrupt the flow of illegal drugs into Oklahoma.

Deployment of the scanners comes as a time when civil asset forfeiture laws are facing intense scrutiny at federal and state levels.

Supporters of such laws say they’re critical for undermining criminal operations and funding local agencies’ drug-law enforcement efforts. National advocacy groups ranging from the American Civil Liberties Union to the Charles Koch Institute are calling to reform the practice.