Fake bomb detector is a plastic box A senior Iraqi Interior Ministry official has claimed that the government is taking legal advice in a bid to recover funds spent on fake bomb detectors. Inspector General of Iraq's Interior Ministry, Akil al-Tuheri told Arabstoday that those involved in importing fake detectors into Iraq in 2007 would "feel the full force of the law."
Last week, British businessman James McCormick was found guilty on three counts of fraud for the sale of bomb detector devices worth over £50 million ($76 million), after admitting to the court he knew the devices did not work.
Tuheri said that the initial bout of legal action taken against military officers was just the beginning, and that the department has strong evidence against several Iraqi companies and suppliers who were involved in importing the detectors.
The ADE651 device was claimed to detect explosives at long range or deep underground using a "programmed" card reader powered solely by the user’s static electricity. In fact, the card reader was found to be an empty plastic box.
The device was sold to many governments, defence agencies and private institutions around the world including Iraq, which bought 6000 devices between 2008 and 2010 to be used at checkpoints within the country.