CBEC to buy Gamma scanners for ports

NEW DELHI: Despite serious objections raised by the (IB), Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), an arm of the union finance ministry, is all set to buy Gamma ray-based container scanning systems for use at ports. The IB in its reports have noted that the technology was not suitable for detection of weapons, arms, ammunition, drugs and other liquid cargo.

Mobile scanners — both Gamma and X-ray — are used for scanning containers in ports and borders to check hidden arms and ammunitions and other illegal items as every container cannot be inspected manually. IB’s contention is that the mobile Gamma scanner has limited penetration capabilities of only 150 mm steel, and the image quality is poor.

Significantly, countries like Sri Lanka have upgraded their requirement to 270 mm of steel penetration. Sources at IB confirmed to SundayET that the objections came after IB officials inspected the mobile Gamma scanner system installed as a pilot project at JNPT, Mumbai, by a US company Rapiscan.

The IB in a communication in October, 2005, had said that the system, which uses Gamma rays from Cobalt-60 source, failed to detect radioactive substances and plastic explosives including RDX, chemical explosives etc.

Interestingly, in yet another communication dated January 23, 2007, the IB reiterated how ineffective the Gamma scanner was, and then suggested that other container scanners with better technologies should be explored on a competitive basis for installation at various ports and other places in India.

However, the CBEC went ahead in seeking the approval of the cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) for procurement of four fixed X-ray and three mobile Gamma ray container scanners at a cost of Rs 172.94 cr (non-recurring) and Rs 18.61 cr per annum (recurring), for installation at Mumbai, Chennai, Tuticorin and Kandla ports.

A senior CBEC official, connected with the development, told SundayET that it would be going ahead with the purchase as it had already received the approval of the cabinet committee. “We don’t like to comment on any IB report,” the official added. It’s however learnt that the CBEC may ask for more specifications for procuring the Gamma scanners than the one already being used at JNPT.

“At present, the random checking is done for just 4 to 5% of all containers reaching various ports. Sometimes, it is even less. Also, it’s done arbitrarily. We have found how at times only the labourers check the containers manually.

How will they detect huge consignments of arms and ammunitions? What’s needed today is an effective technology, accredited internationally to check such anti-national activities,” sources at IB said. IB officials personally visit a port only if specific information on existence of an arms consignment is received in advance.