THAILAND: Government halts purchase of British-made bomb detector

Record ID: 356664

  • Title: THAILAND: Government halts purchase of British-made bomb detector
  • Date: 18th February 2010
  • Summary: HUA HIN, THAILAND (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (FILE) (REUTERS) MILITARY USING GT200 BOMB DETECTORS FOR SECURITY SEARCH MILITARY WALKING DOG DURING SECURITY CHECK VARIOUS OF SECURITY OFFICERS CHECKING MEETING ROOM USING GT200 BOMB DETECTORS
  • Embargoed: 5th March 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Thailand
  • Country: Thailand
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVADKRUERCS6SI5SB7DUEWIYW1NF
  • Story Text: Thailand will not buy anymore of the British-made GT200 bomb detector said Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Tuesday (February 16), following test findings of its ineffectiveness.
    Abhisit said field tests by the Science and Technology Ministry found that the GT200 correctly detected explosives only four times out of 20 tests.
    "Using this device in the test, it was found that it can detect the exact explosive boxes only 4 out of 20 times. It shows the insignificant statistic, that means it is no different from a random process. Therefore, it is obvious and certain that we will buy no more of this device," Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at the news conference.
    He said all units currently using British-made GT200 would be informed of the test results, so that they would no longer take the risk of using it.
    There were no recommendations as to what equipment or alternative methods should be used if the use of GT200 was suspended.
    Tests on the GT200 were conducted on Sunday (February 14) after the effectiveness of a similar British-made bomb detector, the ADE651, was criticized and was banned by the British government.
    The blind test of the GT200 device consisted of 20 filed trials in which explosives were placed in one of four boxes. The device succeeded in recording just four accurate readings.
    Thailand has 535 GT200 units, each costing at least 900,000 baht ($27,000 U.S. dollars) and up to 1.2 million baht ($36,000 U.S. dollars), including specialized monitoring chip card according to a Thai News Agency report.
    The GT200 was widely used in security operations in the restive southern provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat where more than 3,900 people have been killed in six years of bloody unrest.
    The ADE651detector, manufactured by the British-based company Global Technical, was banned from being exported to Iraq and Afghanistan by the British government after its ineffectiveness was discovered.
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