AOT: airport CTX scanners designed to detect bombs

[webfact]

AOT: airport CTX scanners designed to detect bombs

BANGKOK, 30 June 2015 (NNT) - Airports of Thailand (AoT) has insisted that security checks at Suvarnabhumi airport are in compliance with international standards and are designed to identify concealed bombs.

Following former Metropolitan Police chief Kamronwit Thoopkrachang’s arrest in Japan, questions have been raised why the gun and bullets found in his luggage and carry-on bags were not detected by security checks at Suvarnabhumi airport.

According to the AOT, the CTX scanner is only capable of detecting explosives and bombs, not guns. Ammunition and other weapons are usually spotted by security officers at the airport, and that the measure is a standard practice all across the world.

The CTX luggage scanners used at Suvarnabhumi are routinely inspected by the US’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA) team every year. The AOT added that the scanners at Narita airport are also overseen by the same security company, implying the scanners adhere to the same safety standard.

It confirmed that the X-ray images of Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit's checked luggage found no signs of the gun and ammunition Japanese police seized from him at Narita.


-- NNT 2015-06-30

[webfact]

AOT director says CTX scanners can only detect explosives not firearms



BANGKOK: -- All the CTX9400 luggage scanners installed at Suvarnabhumi international airport and at other airports are capable of detecting explosives and not firearms, said Mr Nitinai Sirisamathakarn, director of Airports of Thailand, on Tuesday.

He pointed out that there were several questions raised by members of the public about why the CTX9400 luggage scanners failed to detect the small handgun belonging to Pol Lt-Gen Kamronwit Thoopkrachang, former commissioner of Metropolitan Police. Hence, he felt compelled to clarify the functioning of the devices.

There are altogether 26 CTX9400 luggage scanners and all of them have passed the US certification and have been used every day to scan luggages to be loaded on board aircraft, said the director, stressing that the devices are capable of detecting only explosives and not firearms such as guns.

He explained that there are two stages of luggage and baggage scanning – one is by CTX9400 devices to scan luggages to be loaded on the plane’s cargo bay and the other is by X-ray devices to scan hand-carry baggages to look for weapons such as guns or knives.

Mr Nitinai said that even if knives were put in luggages and could not be detected by the CTX machines, it was still acceptable because passengers could not get into the cargo’s bay of the plane anyway.

Citing statistics, he disclosed for every 100 luggages scanned by CTX devices, about 20 of them were suspected of containing explosives and of these three of them would be subjected to strict examination. So far, no explosives have been found in on-board luggages.

Mr Nitinai earlier said that Kamronwit went through normal checks before boarding a THAI flight to Japan and ex-ray scanning of the police officer’s hand-carry baggage did not detect the small handgun which was found in his possession when he was about to board a THAI flight back to Thailand at the Narita international airport.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/aot-director-says-ctx-scanners-can-only-detect-explosives-not-firearms


-- Thai PBS 2015-06-30

[kotsak]

"ex-ray".. So it was not a ray anymore, no wonder didn't work properly

[ChrisY1]

So on that crazy premise.......I could in theory load my luggage with hand guns and bring them into or out of Thailand and the guns would not be detected......what a complete and utter nonsense.

These people are nuts!!!

[Fat Haggis]

Excuse after excuse after excuse.. it's time Prayuth practiced what he preached about removing those who didn't meet the required standards from their positions.

Doesn't he realise he's just admitted that his machines don't detect weapons, that tend to be used in hijackings more often than bombs do!!! Ineptitude at the highest level.

[dickyknee]

Excuse after excuse after excuse.. it's time Prayuth practiced what he preached about removing those who didn't meet the required standards from their positions.

Doesn't he realise he's just admitted that his machines don't detect weapons, that tend to be used in hijackings more often than bombs do!!! Ineptitude at the highest level.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_hijackings

Maybe, but recent history would say bombs/cutting/stabbing objects tend to get used more.

[Manbing]

As I recall, Thailand has had a pretty poor record of purchasing bomb detection technology.

Surely its time to return to the tried and tested technology they used to use.

This is a monkey with a stick, the monkey beats each bag and if it goes off, its a bomb.

[ksamuiguy]

Maybe I am mistaken but aren't the CTX scanners used to scan Checked Luggage.

[NongKhaiKid]

So much for all the claims about the scanners and the experts manning them pointing to the fact the gun could not have passed through Swampy, well maybe if packed in a vertical position.

However it won't matter how efficient the system is it doesn't work if perhaps certain people are allowed to bypass it.

[Khun Paul]

Thats ok then I can board with a machine gun kill everyone and say not me I didn't have it and YOU cannot prove I did. Complete and utter inexcusable behaviour by the Thai Government a failure to address any sort of criminal act by anyone. Now all Thai flights will be at risk until they sort out the scanners. Utter incompetent and idiotic behaviour by AOT and the Government.

[ezzra]

According to the AOT, the CTX scanner is only capable of detecting explosives and bombs, not guns. Ammunition and other weapons are usually spotted by security officers at the airport, and that the measure is a standard practice all across the world.

Surly you're kidding right? please tell me that you were kidding when you said that the CTX

can't detect guns and emmo.....

[NongKhaiKid]

Great idea to tell the world that their scanners can't detect guns.

[Cake Monster]

Are these people serious ?

What a nonsense situation

Hope IS dont read this statement by AOT.

[Orac]

So 20% of checked baggage shows signs of explosives by CTX scanner but they only thoroughly check 3. I am not sure what concerns me more - the inaccuracy of the equipment or that 17% of items that their own equipment identifies as iffy isn't checked.

[NongKhaiKid]

Are these people serious ?

What a nonsense situation

Hope IS dont read this statement by AOT.

However let's hope ICAO does.

[roblgs]

So 20% of checked baggage shows signs of explosives by CTX scanner but they only thoroughly check 3. I am not sure what concerns me more - the inaccuracy of the equipment or that 17% of items that their own equipment identifies as iffy isn't checked.

From the original report...

"Citing statistics, he disclosed for every 100 luggages scanned by CTX devices, about 20 of them were suspected of containing explosives and of these three of them would be subjected to strict examination. So far, no explosives have been found in on-board luggages."

What statistics? Source?

Whatever, that's twenty suspect bags in every 100, only 3 of this 20 is then subject to strict inspection... that's a paultry 15% of suspect bags, or 85% of suspect bags that are let through without further attantion!

Scary!

Edited July 1, 2015 by roblgs

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

So 20% of checked baggage shows signs of explosives by CTX scanner but they only thoroughly check 3. I am not sure what concerns me more - the inaccuracy of the equipment or that 17% of items that their own equipment identifies as iffy isn't checked.

That's what I was wondering about..

So the airports director guy is saying their checked luggage scanning machines are having a 20% rate of suspected explosives in the luggage they scan... And they've yet to find any actual explosives...

So that means the machines are having a 20% false positives rate??? I wonder if that's anywhere close to the norm for what they're supposed to have?

Separately, I don't know why folks here are getting up in arms of the fact that the CTX machines don't/didn't detect guns and ammo.

The CTX machines are supposed to check CHECKED-IN luggage that goes into the hold of the plane, where it cannot be accessed by passengers. Guns and ammo are allowed internationally in checked luggage, provided they're declared to airport staff and properly/safely packed, and the weapon isn't loaded.

It's the CARRY-ON luggage -- which is xrayed at the airport security checkpoints but does NOT go thru the CTX scanners -- where the prohibition against any firearms and ammunition is supposed to be absolute. Unlike checked luggage, no member of the public is supposed to have any firearms or ammunition onboard a commercial jet in the passenger area.

If I remember right, supposedly, Kamronwit told Japanese police that he had the gun and ammo in his checked-in luggage on the Thai to Japan flight.

That wouldn't have been illegal in Thailand per se if he had declared the gun to airport staff, left it unloaded, and safely packed -- none of which he apparently did. But it obviously became a problem once he reached Japan, which has much stricter laws against gun possession than Thailand.

[Colabamumbai]

Open invitation to try and bring guns in and out of the country in hand luggage, what fools.

[DoctorG]

As usual, some people do not read properly before posting.

[SOTIRIOS]

.....a full circle of an excuse...after the initial outright denial of blame......

....nobody to blame.....of course.....

...what is the bonus amount this year.....

...AOT......another free-for-all...........

[Pimay1]

According to the AOT, the CTX scanner is only capable of detecting explosives and bombs, not guns. Ammunition and other weapons are usually spotted by security officers at the airport, and that the measure is a standard practice all across the world.

Surly you're kidding right? please tell me that you were kidding when you said that the CTX

can't detect guns and emmo.....

I've been reading up on these CTX scanners since this story broke. From what I can determine the original scanners installed in Bangkok were CTX 9000. Now they are saying they are 9400 which means they have been upgraded. The latest version is 9800. According to the manufacturer information the 9000 and 9400 detect explosives only. The 9800 shows in detail all items in the scanned baggage.

[torpedo1970]

smokes and mirrors......

it is all about,...... wait for it....... as always

Saving that face........... nothing else matters........

[Barin]

According to the AOT, the CTX scanner is only capable of detecting explosives and bombs, not guns. Ammunition and other weapons are usually spotted by security officers at the airport, and that the measure is a standard practice all across the world.

A very useful information for someone who wants to smuggle guns hidden in the air passenger's check-in luggage.

It confirmed that the X-ray images of Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit's checked luggage found no signs of the gun and ammunition Japanese police seized from him at Narita.

That is very easy to overcome, just wrap the gun with aluminum foil and mix with various metal containing objects inside your check-in suitcase: spoons, forks, electric cables, power supplies, mobile phones, etc.

It's almost impossible to detect a gun inside the suitcase by standard airport x-ray equipment.

The airports around the world are probably reluctant to upgrade their existing x-ray scanners as more advanced scanners may cost millions of US dollars.

It's a Billion dollar business for the companies that produce this kind of equipment (mostly American, as far as I can understand).

[mikebell]

Why don't the Thais buy the same scanners as the Japanese?

[12DrinkMore]

Again there is the usual Thai bashing.

These devices which cost some 700,000 USD each and of course manufactured in the USA, so there is always a little suspicion that the terrorist scare mongering, most of which eminates from the States, ultimately benefits the goals of the self-appointed Global Policeman and its industry.

These CTX 9400 detectors work by creating a 3D X-ray image of the luggage and then comparing the image against a database of explosive profiles. With a throughput of 550 bags/hour, each bag is scanned and automatically analysed in just 6 seconds. To be honest I really find it difficult to believe that this feat is even possible. Think of all the crap that people carry around with them, and add in the malleability of plastic explosives and the ingenuity of humans.

For those aghast at the fact that handguns are not detected. It is on the manufacturers site that this is only a bomb detector, nothing to do with the Thais making some earth moving announcement that will open the flood gates to hordes of Rambos.

So more figures.

Swampy has 26 detectors, so it can process 300,000 bits of baggage every day, or 114,000,000 each year. Just over 2 pieces of baggage for each of the roughly 50,000,000 travellers. In the nine years of operation must have processed almost one billion bags.

No bombs found.

And thinking about this, I have never read of any bomb being deteced by one of these scanners, anywhere on the planet. Maybe someone could correct me. I am pretty sure that the manufacturer would love to have this publicised to show how effective the detectors are.

Possibly

1. terrorists are so deterred by the threat of being detected that they do not even bother.

2. in spite of the high profile given to terrorist attacks, there are, in fact a minuscule number of bad boys out there, and we are not constantly and imminently under threat of dying at the hands of an mad islamic suicidal jerk.

3. the bloody things are not that good at detecting bombs, but they have been certified by the TSA and come from America, so must be OK. I suppose. Well, nobody is going to complain about too much security whilst we fly, are they?

How long would the scans be stored? Must be a lot of data for each bag, I wonder if the statement

"we checked and found no handgun on the scan" really meant "we checked and there was no scan data saved, so of course there was no handgun on the scan".

Once a flight has landed there is no reason to keep all that data.

As the simple solution is always the best, I imagine our general was given the VIP treatment at Swampy on the way out. Side door open, lots of wais and "come this way, sir".

Unfortunately he did not get the same treatment on the way back. Must have been a blow to his ego.

[Johnny S]

As usual, some people do not read properly before posting.

and some people dont write anything before posting ...

[neal david]

really w.t.f ...... what world do these people live in ...... just gets better by the day .....give the guy 10 years and forget and move on .....

According to the AOT, the CTX scanner is only capable of detecting explosives and bombs, not guns. Ammunition and other weapons are usually spotted by security officers at the airport, and that the measure is a standard practice all across the world.

[eliotness]

Why don't the Thais buy the same scanners as the Japanese?

What about the gun broken down detected in the hand baggage of the Thais trying to return from Pakistan ? Does that mean Pakistan has far superior machines for checking hand baggage than Thailand ? Oh dear, oh dear !!!

[thaiguzzi]

I've bought loads of stuff through over the years that must look dodgy through an x ray machine. Motorcycle c/heads, cylinders, cams, carbs, swing arms, machine shop tooling, 12-13" billets of 1-2-3" diameter steel and aluminium. Only time i ever get checked, and i have no problem with this, is with carry-on hand luggage. A c/head and carburettors can look a bit weird i suppose for the x ray machine operator...

[elgordo38]

Why don't the Thais buy the same scanners as the Japanese?

They hate to spend the money honey. They claim that 26 million tourists will enter the country this year surely they deserve the best protection in the air that money can buy.