Army commander in South intends to continue using the bomb detectors
The government will investigate the procurement of GT200 "bomb detectors" and ask the British manufacturers to take responsibility for providing such false technology, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday.
"I will seek an explanation from the UK government as to why it has allowed the export of such ineffective devices," he told reporters. "Companies should not be allowed to misrepresent faulty products and export them."
Abhisit also urged agencies to stop using the device because it had been proven to be ineffective.
However, Fourth Army Region commander Lt Gen Pichet Pisaichorn, who oversees the restive South, said he would continue using the GT200 detectors even though scientific tests have proved them to be ineffective.
"I understand the test, but I'm confident in the device's efficiency," he said. "If anybody can find a better device, send it to me and I will use it.
"Armchair generals might suggest using sniffer dogs, but the local Muslim people dislike dogs. How can we use them?" he asked.
The Department of Special Investigation and the Office of the Auditor-General said they were ready to look into the procurement of the devices. They will also question the agents who sold the equipment to the security agencies, DSI chief Tharit Pengdit said.
The Office of the Auditor-General is also questioning the transparency of the procurement of the devices and how the agencies had decided to buy an ineffective product, an official said.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also questioned why the device - sold under the same brand and type - varied so greatly in price. Different agencies paid between Bt400,000 and Bt1.2 million for each of the devices.
There are believed to be nearly 2,000 sets of the GT200 and similar devices being used by government agencies. The Army alone has some 800 sets of the GT200, while the Interior Ministry owns 542 Alpha 6 bomb detectors, which will also be put through scientific tests soon.
The GT200 device was introduced to the Thai armed forces in 2004, though they were only bought in 2007 when General Sonthi Boonyaratglin was Army chief. Under the current Army chief, General Anupong Paochinda, 222 GT200 devices were purchased last year.
Sonthi said he had authorised the purchase of just GT200 bomb detectors and insisted the procurement was legal.
A double-blind test conducted over the weekend showed that the UK-made GT200 devices could only detect explosive substances in four out of 20 instances. The performance was no better than throwing dice.
The manufacturer, Global Technical, said it was "surprised and disappointed by the reported outcome of tests carried out by the Thai government".
The company responded to e-mail questions from CNN by saying the results were "completely at odds with other tests carried out by independent bodies" and "the experience of a large number of users of this product all over the world".
The Thai distributor, Avia Satcom, was not available for comment. Reporters, camped outside the company in Don Mueang area, could get none of the staff to comment on the device yesterday.
The Alpha 6, produced by the UK's ComsTrac, is now widely used at the Interior Ministry and the Narcotic Suppression Bureau. Based on the same technology as the GT200, the manufacturer claims the Alpha 6 can detect both explosive substances and narcotics.
