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$11m X-ray upgrade to enhance detection of sophisticated drug concealments

Tuesday, 3 Jan 2017 09:40:39 | Connie Agius

The Australian Border Force will spend more than $11 million to upgrade X-ray screening technology. (ABC: Connie Agius)

The Australian Border Force (ABF) will spend more than $11 million to upgrade X-ray screening capability in container examination facilities around the country.

The technology will increase X-ray penetration and allow officers to see further into each container.

This will help improve the detection of drugs concealed in cargo by organised crime syndicates.

Audio: Listen to Connie Agius's report (AM)

The ABF's regional commander in New South Wales, Tim Fitzgerald, said it is building on existing technology.

"It improves our ability to identify the increasing sophistication of concealments that we're encountering," he said.

"X-ray is one tool that we use and through this upgrade we'll have improved X-ray penetration and improved contrast resolution, so that our officers that are looking at the image can interpret that image with the view of identifying any anomaly."

The idea is to combine improved X-ray technology with intelligence, physical examinations, detector dogs and other technologies used to detected drug concealments.

Cashed up, sophisticated crime groups

Steroids in music equipment Photo: ABF officers deconstructed music equipment to reveal 15 kilograms of white powder. (ABC: Connie Agius)

Mr Fitzgerald said organised crime groups will use any good to conceal a narcotic.

"We've had a number of significant seizures of narcotics concealed within liquids.

"Syndicates will use the liquid in a deliberate attempt to beat X-ray, like the kind we had approximately 12-months ago where around 280 kilos of narcotics was concealed in juice drinks.

"The organised crime groups will bring in a chemist that will move the narcotic from powder form to liquid form then it's presented to us in the form of a juice, wine or another alcoholic beverage.

"Then another chemist or the same chemist will come along and extract the narcotics out of the liquid."

Audio: Organised crime using sophisticated methods to traffic drugs (AM)

Mr Fitzgerald said narcotics had been detected in gel bras and cocaine had been moulded into the plastic of a hard-sided suitcase.

"In recent times, we've had some really large seizures of narcotics hidden within aluminium rolls," he said.

"They were set up with the view of defeating X-ray technology.

"The narcotics were concealed with a lead-lined case in the middle of the aluminium and when you put it through an X-ray machine the images weren't as clear as some items and that was the idea of this syndicate."

Australia a target because of demand

Meth concealed in glue Photo: ABF officers intercepted three packages containing 180 tins of liquid glue and 26.1 kilograms of methamphetamine. (ABC: Connie Agius)

Australia is attractive to organised crime groups because of the money that can be made through drug sales in the country.

"When it comes to imported narcotics, Australia is probably highest than anywhere in the world," Mr Fitzgerald said.

"For argument's sake, with a kilo of ice in Australia, they'll probably get up to the $250,000 mark.

"In a lot of other places around the world, you wouldn't see one tenth of that."

Australian Border Force acknowledge that they cannot be everywhere and examine everything, but improved technology and intelligence can ensure more will get detected at Australia's borders.

The X-ray roll out is expected to be completed by April 2017.

AustraliaPlus


 

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