SOUTH AFRICA: A canine academy in South Africa trains dogs to sniff out previously undetectable 'Mother of Satan' explosives

Record ID: 359526

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: A canine academy in South Africa trains dogs to sniff out previously undetectable 'Mother of Satan' explosives
  • Date: 7th November 2013
  • Summary: PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA (NOVEMBER 06, 2013) (REUTERS) DOG UNIT HANDLERS PLACING "SUBSTITUTE CHEMICAL" FOR DOGS TO FIND HANDLER RELEASING DOG/ DOG SNIFFING CONTAINERS CLOSE OF DOG SNIFFING CONTAINER DOG SITTING NEXT TO CONTAINER WHICH HAS CHEMICAL IN IT DOG BEING GIVEN TOY BY HANDLER MEDIA WATCHING DEMONSTRATION POLICE AND MEDIA STANDING BY (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRAVEHEAR
  • Embargoed: 22nd November 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Crime,General
  • Reuters ID: LVA1Y4YCQJB52HULQW6MJYED161U
  • Story Text: Dogs are now being trained for the first time to sniff out the previously undetectable explosive "Mother of Satan", Braveheart Bio-Dog Academy said on Wednesday (November 6).

    "Mother of Satan" is one of the most elusive explosives and has often been used in many deadly militant acts of the last few decades.
    Made of peroxide, and devoid hydrogen or metals atoms, the explosive escapes x-ray detection and has been particularly problematic for security control at airports and harbours.

    "On the new generation of explosives used the acetone peroxide based explosives, now the problem arises that it is not detectable by the current means of x-rays or etc. This now poses a problem because terror groups can quite easily not work with these explosives but they can move over borders etc. The problem is that it is very easy and very cheap and very fast to make these very dangerous types of explosives. The acetone peroxide explosives," said Braveheart Bio-Dog Academy Manager, John Greyvenstein during a demonstration to media in Pretoria.
    Mother of Satan is made of triacetonetriperoxide (TATP) and earnt its name because it's very volatile and can be detonated by impact, temperature changes or even slight friction.
    At the Braveheart Bio-Dog academy, researchers decided it was important to find new ways to counter this threat.
    However, they first had to overcome major problems with developing aids to detect the peroxide based explosives, in particular the instability of the substance, its short shelf-life and therefore that it is incredibly dangerous to work with.
    The team then discovered they could use a peroxide substitute that was similar enough to make it safe to work with and found that sniffer dogs had no problem finding the chemical.
    Now they aim to make handlers, dogs and training available to companies.

    "Certain training aids available that we know of internationally but this, in the format that we've got it currently is a first. We here not moved only but addressed the training aid itself for the material but we've looked at the process holistically because we do believe that the only success will be to address all the elements involved with this. Which is, for instance, with a dog you would get the dog, the training of the dog, the training material, the training aid that you use through to assessment, certification moderation of the process. But also you will most definitely need the handler and the handler needs certain elements to make this successful," said Greyvenstein.
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