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Thailand's bomb detection problem
Fake goods in Thailand – what’s new? Well, this time it’s not a dodgy Rolex or a copied Louis Vuitton bag, it’s far more serious.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/02/16/bomb.blog.gi.jpg caption ="Thai bomb squad members inspect the site of a bomb attack on a bus in 2009."]
Bomb detection scanners that have been used in the terrorism ravaged south of the country for six years have just been shown to be completely useless after exhaustive tests arranged by the Thai government.
It’s pretty embarrassing for the Thai Army, which has shelled out more than 20 million dollars on the GT200 devices made by a UK manufacturer, Global Technical.
But what's even more shocking is that this same device has been sold to 30 countries around the world, according to Global Technical.
How many lives have therefore been potentially lost because police officers and soldiers are using a bomb scanner that simply doesn't work.
In the tests carried out in Thailand, a quantity of explosives was placed in one of four boxes and then a team equipped with the GT200 was assigned to find the cache.
They were only successful 20 per cent of the time. It would have been better if they had played “eeny-meany-miney-mo”.
It would all be quite comical were it not for the fact that innocent civilians are killed and wounded almost every week in southern Thailand, by bombs smuggled through the numerous road checkpoints. There government estimates there are some 700 bomb detection devices deployed in Thailand.
The manufacturer is standing by the device, issuing a statement to CNN saying:
“We are surprised and disappointed by the reported outcome of tests carried out by the Thai government. The results are completely at odds with other tests carried out by independent bodies and indeed with the experience of the large number of users of this product all over the world.”
However Global Technical and its Thai distributor Avia Satcom both declined our request for an interview.
Already a very similar looking device the AED651 made by another British firm ATSC, has been banned for export by the British government. That device has been sold in Iraq and Afghanistan, although the Iraqi army has now stopped using it.
The Thai government is now looking into the possibility of legal action against the manufacturers of the device it bought – Global Technical has made millions from sales of the GT200 to Thailand. When global sales are included the profit must be in the tens of millions.
Thailand has been using the GT200 since 2004 – with units sold to the Army, Forensic Scientists, Navy, Air Force, Narcotics Control Board and the police. Other countries thought to have purchased the units are the Philippines, Mexico and Kenya to name but a few.
The tentacles of this scandal stretch around the world – and a lot of very senior security officials’ reputations will be in tatters as a result.
On Twitter
And this took 6 years to discover? Really?
I'd like to see the studies that the manufacturer says are favorable.
I just can't believe that the company that produce this useless equipments dare to sell their products to many countries.
It's totally crazy to risk the soldiers life with the stupid devices from England.......
Business Ethic pls!!!!
I noticed one error: "There government estimates there are some 700 bomb detection devices deployed in Thailand. " I believe "there" should be "their".
Other than that, I think this is important news, and I hope those responsible are forced to suffer severe consequences for their trickery and lack of regard for human lives.
Get a life Windy
This company doesn't need any regulations, big business always does the right thing without any oversight. Or at least that's what Rush told me.
Pardon?
The Thai government bought 700 devices – supposedly in several deliveries over many months – and used them for 6 years, and just now they discover it doesn't work?
This requires alternative, better explanations! Like:
– Bribery, not function, was the reason to buy
– They don't need these functional devices any more and hope for a refund now
Right on Gibbons The officers of such companies should be put in prison, bur I an sure they will get there multi-million dollar bonuses just like American Bank and Wall St. excutives
Windy
get a life and an education
"there" is correct.
peace!
Very telling is that the Philippines bought these devices as well... stinks of corruption..
Legal action is actualism.
If this equipment really was bogus, HOW could civilized people allow themselves to sell something that people would RELY on, something they already KNOW will FAIL to protect even one life, and thus allow uncounted people to die?
Unless, of course, their loyalties were with the terrorists...
I've noticed lots of people this callous on the Internet these days. It's incredible that any civilized society can breed such monsters.
I'm no rosy-eyed idealist. I'm a rather stark realist. But still, we didn't used to MAKE people like that in the Western civilizations. Now we have too many to count.
What's going ON?
I think an internationally recognized authority should retest these in front of representatives of the countries that purchased them.
If found ineffective not only should the company be sued for selling useless crap but be made liable for all casualties that could be prevented if the thing actually worked.
The principals at the firms that did this should be going to jail. International fraud. I know the UK has laws about using the mail and telephone for dishonest, fraudulent purposes.
My life was jeopardized by these "divining rods" or "ouji board" bomb detectors being used for years in places like Amman, Jordan and Baghdad, Iraq. I'm sure they still are - and that people think they're actually being protected.
Jail. This is criminal misconduct.
i would like to import the latest Bomb Detection Equipment for to support my country;s Police Force./Forensic Dept. in India.
If you know anything concerned this subjet pleae let me know by mail.
Regards,
SibiGeorge.
latest BBC Newsnight investigation of the fake detector fraud
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxArxIgB9oA&feature=player_embedded
Please sign the following petition and ask a couple of friends to do it as well. If they do the same we can get a big number
THANKS!!!!!!!
http://www.change.org/petitions/demand-action-and-justice-in-fake-explosive-detectors-scandal