Narc (Narcotics)

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Nark redirects here. For other uses of narc or nark, see NARC.

A narc, also spelled nark, (a contraction of "narcotic agent") is a term for a narcotics agent or police informant who provides information to the police about drug offenders. It's often used to refer to undercover agents, rather than police officers. Some drug offenders, once caught, turn into informants as part of an agreement with the police to avoid charges. A famous example of this in film is the "Abracadabra" scene in Half Baked. Another police technique is to use an attractive agent as part of a honey trap sting operation.

Narc can also refer to an informant, usually a police informant, and does not necessarily have to be related to narcotics.

One urban legend states that the best way to tell if a person is a narc is to offer them use of drugs and see if they accept. However, narcs are allowed to ingest small quantities of drugs in the course of their duties. The SJC has ruled that undercover officers may, in the performance of their duties, use drugs. This narc-identification method has failed several times on well-publicized COPS episodes.

In the third season of 24, it is implied that Jack Bauer served as a narc to bring down drug lord Ramon Salazar.