This is Bomb detection equipment??!

[bitofatit]

A british firm has been stopped from exporting Bomb / explosive detection equipment because err...it doesn't work!

See story here; Boss who sold bomb detectors to Iraq arrested over fraud | UK news | The Guardian

They have sold £50m of this kit in Iraq and their web site shows it being demo'ed by a Nigerian soldier. It's made out of "COAT HANGERS" - of course it dosen't work. Or am I missing something!

See the manufacture's web site here. ATSC (UK) Ltd - ADE651, ADE651, ADE 651, ADE650, ADE650, ADE680 - EC Plaza

How can people be so gullible? The company director said recently when asked if the product worked "[the detection device has been] derided because of their flimsy appearance and said the detectors pinpointed explosives in the same way a dowsing rod finds water" !!!. - That'll be right then, I'd put my trust every time in a couple of twigs or metal sticks when trying to detect and protect against explosives! This product can detect explosives up to 1,000 metres away ("in perfect conditions") * (Terms and conditions no doubt apply)!

Interesting they also sell a similar product that detects all types of drugs - honest!

 

[fizl]

Did it also dip downwards when near a hidden water supply? About as useful as a divining rod anyway

Shaz

 

[09jamma]

you'd think they'd have tested and scrutinised such apparatus before committing to spend such a large amount on them. pillocks!

 

[Sonic67]

Light Blue Touchpaper » Blog Archive » Placebo bomb detectors

BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/8471187.stm

Manufacturer (with some poor use of English):
http://www.ade651.com/ade651in.html

caveat emptor

and there was this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sniffex

 

[Sonic67]

Something being done:

BBC News - Police raids expand bomb detector probe

It costs a fortune, is made here, and is completely useless. So why did the MOD never buy it?

 

[Prasius]

It is Iraqi's you're talking about though - this is a group of people who thought the British Army had released killer badgers in Basra...

BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | British blamed for Basra badgers

That said - this scumbag deserves to be charged with something more serious than fraud; he's happy for people to die over the crap he's selling for a profit.

 

[ldoodle]

I might build a load of the 'weapons' I used to make as a child. They consisted of:

1) tree branches shaved and bent into an arc with a piece of string between the two ends to form a bow
2) smaller version of the above with a straight branch down the middle and a clothes line peg at the base to form a cross-bow
3) straight branches shaved and 'tipped' to form arrows
4) and i'm sure we've all done this; tie yoghurt pots together to form telecommunications devices

At least these will work