Briton jailed for fake bomb detectors

LONDON, August 21, 2013 (AFP) - A British conman who sold fake bomb detectors worldwide was jailed for seven years on Tuesday, with his judge branding the devices "useless".

The GT200s were home-made plastic boxes with handles and antennae -- but Gary Bolton claimed they could detect explosives, narcotics, tobacco, ivory and even cash.

Around 1,200 devices were sold to Mexico, while orders were also shipped to parts of Asia and the Middle East. The devices are still being used in Thailand, the court was told.

Bolton, 47, a father of three, denied two counts of fraud but was convicted by a jury last month at the Old Bailey in London, England's central criminal court.

Sentencing him, judge Richard Hone said Bolton had claimed the "little plastic box" was a working piece of equipment, and that he continued to "peddle" the GT200 to scores of international clients -- including for use by armed forces.

The boxes cost less than £5 ($7.85, 5.85 euros) to make.

However, they were sold for between £2,500 and £10,000 in bulk or up to £15,000 if bought individually.

"You were determined to bolster the illusion that the devices worked and you knew there was a spurious science to produce that end," Hone said.

"They had a random detection rate. They were useless.

"Soldiers, police officers, customs officers and many others put their trust in a device which worked no better than random chance.

"The jury found you knew this but you carried on. Your profits were enormous."

The court heard Bolton's company, Global Technology, had a turnover of almost £3 million, with up to 5,000 devices made.

"You have damaged the reputation of British trade abroad," said Hone.

"You gave spurious credibility to this product. You're a fraudulent person. You have no remorse."

Bolton claimed the GT200 worked with a range of 700 metres (2,295 feet) at ground level and as far as four kilometres (2.5 miles) in the air.

However, a defence expert from Britain's Home Office interior ministry said it had "no credibility as an explosive detector".

Speaking outside court, Detective Inspector Roger Cook, from the City of London police, said: "Gary Bolton made a fortune selling devices that were supposed to be able to detect explosives and other harmful substances but in reality were nothing more than plastic handles with aerials as antennae.

"In doing so he was putting people's lives and livelihoods at serious risk, but his sole consideration was how much money he could make.

"His seven-year prison sentence should act as a warning to others who seek to act corruptly overseas with the belief that they will go undetected."

In May, British businessman James McCormick was sentenced to 10 years in jail for selling fake bomb detectors to the Iraqi government and other countries, by a judge who told him he had blood on his hands.

McCormick, 57, made an estimated £50 million from selling the devices, which prosecutors said were based on a novelty golf ball finder and did not work.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-08-21

"In doing so he was putting people's lives and livelihoods at serious risk, but his sole consideration was how much money he could make.

What a disgrace

And what becomes of the current stock in Thailand? And the generals that approved the purchase and put at risk thousands of soldiers? And the khunying that "tested" the devices and gave her green light?

Nobody gives a shit?

Great, but what about the gullible public, military, and police officials who bought this non-device? Are they to be held responsible? No.

...should the buyers who spent public money on this scam /not/ be held accountable on the flip side of this coin? how 'bout the /REAL/ story for once? ;-} rap.

What should happen to the buyers who knew this gadget was suspicious should be the topic of a different thread.

This guy got a pathetically light sentence for something that probably caused numerous deaths and injuries. He should have been tried for aiding and abetting terrorism.

Seven years will give him just about the right amount of time to come up with a new scam.

Sad, really, really sad.

Does anybody knows the name of the Thai who ordered the purchase of the boxes.

I have a bridge for sale in London and he will be surely interested in making a bid.

My first reaction is what on earth possessed him to believe he could get away with such an audacious fraud? But he did, for years. Perhaps people's due diligence is often sadly lacking and conmen are well aware of this.

And what becomes of the current stock in Thailand? And the generals that approved the purchase and put at risk thousands of soldiers? And the khunying that "tested" the devices and gave her green light?

Nobody gives a shit?

You live in Thailand? Get used to the fact that over here people of certain ranks hardly get arrested for their wrongdoings .

They guy should have set up his enterprise with a 51/49 partner in LOS and he would be sipping on a drink on a tropical island nowadays before he gets ripped off and kicked out of a successful business by his partner.

After release from prison, he may get asylum in Nigeria, who knows?

A post containing a foreign language has been deleted. Please only use English on the forum except in the Thai language section.

My first reaction is what on earth possessed him to believe he could get away with such an audacious fraud? But he did, for years. Perhaps people's due diligence is often sadly lacking and conmen are well aware of this.

The problem with situations like this is that the people who are killed and maimed aren't in a position to complain. The colonels, generals and politicians are, but they don't care too much about the common foot-soldier.

Just like novelty condoms or anti-snoring pills. If people are stupid enough to buy these "detectors" (such as that great oxymoron "military intelligence") then good on him! I wish I'd thought of that:-)

I hope he has a terrible stay in prison and serves every day of his sentence ( though sadly he will probably be out on parole in a year or two ) and I hope ALL the company's ill gotten gains are returned to the people he lied to.

Great, but what about the gullible public, military, and police officials who bought this non-device? Are they to be held responsible? No.

Exactly you have to question the people who gave the green light to purchase these plastic things with an antenna,it says a lot about all the military boffins,where was the rigorous testing and approval by these different institutions.

While the lives of many people were put at risk and I don't condone that,in a way I admire the way he duped so many nations and military people with something which cost 2 quid to manufacture.

How did they draw the conclusion that these things actually worked before handing over tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds.

You have to ask who was really to blame,and IMO it's the people at the top who gave the nod to purchase them,scary really isn't it,makes you wonder what else could be out there that's a crock of <deleted>.

There seem to be a lot of people overlooking how he managed to persuade so many "influential people" to buy his gizmos.

I can take a wild guess, and it isn't that they were gullible.

There seem to be a lot of people overlooking how he managed to persuade so many "influential people" to buy his gizmos.

I can take a wild guess, and it isn't that they were gullible.

So he gave everyone of them a backhander ?

I find that hard to believe,if that's the case then these influential people should be brought to justice just like the seller.

And what becomes of the current stock in Thailand? And the generals that approved the purchase and put at risk thousands of soldiers? And the khunying that "tested" the devices and gave her green light?

Nobody gives a shit?

You live in Thailand? Get used to the fact that over here people of certain ranks hardly get arrested for their wrongdoings .

They guy should have set up his enterprise with a 51/49 partner in LOS and he would be sipping on a drink on a tropical island nowadays before he gets ripped off and kicked out of a successful business by his partner.

After release from prison, he may get asylum in Nigeria, who knows?

I'd like to see a prominent journalist or tv anchor like SORAYUT ask these questions on NATIONAL TV. No need to point fingers. Stay impartial and ask the goddamned questions!

Great, but what about the gullible public, military, and police officials who bought this non-device? Are they to be held responsible? No.

Thailand lost a great face saving opportunity once it was realised that the devices did not work. Now they still insist on using them well after it was found they are useless. Now the government can be held fully responsible for any injury or death resulting from the use of this device.

If anyone died because of his deliberate misinformation, he should be charged with murder. A no brainer...

I hope he has a terrible stay in prison and serves every day of his sentence ( though sadly he will probably be out on parole in a year or two ) and I hope ALL the company's ill gotten gains are returned to the people he lied to.

The sentence should have come with a fine equaling to profits + 20%. Probably the guy took good care of hiding his assets anyway. Imagine you serve 5 years and when get out you have so much money you don't need to worry about anything anymore, it's too good for just 5-7 years.

Guilty of merely testing the words of wisdom:

CAVEAT EMPTOR

Great, but what about the gullible public, military, and police officials who bought this non-device? Are they to be held responsible? No.

Exactly you have to question the people who gave the green light to purchase these plastic things with an antenna,it says a lot about all the military boffins,where was the rigorous testing and approval by these different institutions.

While the lives of many people were put at risk and I don't condone that,in a way I admire the way he duped so many nations and military people with something which cost 2 quid to manufacture.

How did they draw the conclusion that these things actually worked before handing over tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds.

You have to ask who was really to blame,and IMO it's the people at the top who gave the nod to purchase them,scary really isn't it,makes you wonder what else could be out there that's a crock of <deleted>.

"makes you wonder what else could be out there that's a crock of <deleted>."

Where would you possibly begin wondering? The probabilities are staggering

Does anybody knows the name of the Thai who ordered the purchase of the boxes. I have a bridge for sale in London and he will be surely interested in making a bid.

You would need some powerful backing too.

With a lot of powerful corrupt backing, his confidence would have been sky high!

7 years is pure laughing stock indeed! (and parole will come too).

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/20/government-fake-bomb-detectors-bolton

this man brought great shame on the Thai military and made them look like professional fools and causing them to lose credibility internationally

And what becomes of the current stock in Thailand? And the generals that approved the purchase and put at risk thousands of soldiers? And the khunying that "tested" the devices and gave her green light?

Nobody gives a shit?

"In the aftermath of Bolton's sentencing, it can be revealed that the Ministry of Defence, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the government's trade arm, UKTI, gave promotional, diplomatic and financial backing to Bolton over several years even though a Home Office expert in bomb detection equipment found his device's ability to detect explosives was no better than random."

Never thought about the above? Wonder what inspired them to promote the shit?

this man brought great shame on the Thai military and made them look like professional fools and causing them to lose credibility internationally

I hope he has a terrible stay in prison and serves every day of his sentence ( though sadly he will probably be out on parole in a year or two ) and I hope ALL the company's ill gotten gains are returned to the people he lied to.

I suspect that within 3 months he will be moved to an open prison. Furthermore I suspect that he will bring a degree of amusement to his fellow inmates. I'm not at all displeased that he made a few quid out of the Thai Government. He'll be back on the streets in a couple of years.

He's probably working on a design for a key to be sold to prisoners that works on every lock in the prison.

If anyone died because of his deliberate misinformation, he should be charged with murder. A no brainer...

I don't think that's the way laws work. If I design a gun that doesn't work properly and its not working properly will result in its users being killed by opponents with guns that do work properly, that is not a safety issue. I was surprised, but there we are. We may even sell such weapons to our own armed services!