[Milsurplus] "British Businessman Held for Fraud in Faulty Bomb Detectors Used in Iraq"

[Hue Miller]

File under: combat electronics; mine detectors; bomb detectors

New York Times Jan. 24, 2010 
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/world/europe/24scanner.html

and many other news sources. 
"Iraqi officials said they would begin an investigation into why their 
government paid at least $85 million to the British company, ATSC Ltd.,
for at least 800 of the bomb detectors.....
The N.Y. Times first reported official doubts about the device in November,
citing American military officials and technical experts who said the
ADE651 was useless, despite widespread reliance on it in Iraq....
The ADE651 is a hand-held wand with no batteries or internal 
electronic components, ostensibly powered by the static electricity
of the user....the only moving part is is what looks like a radio 
antenna on a swivel, which swings to point toward the presence
of weapons or explosives....
An associate of ATSC....said the devices were manufactured at a cost
of $250 by suppliers in Britain and Romania....The Iraqi government....
paid $40,000 to $60,000 each for the device, although it was 
determined that ATSC was marketing it for $16,000. The additional
money was said to have been for "training", "spare parts", and 
commissions.  [ read: bribes ] [ quotes are mine. ]
McCormick [ of ATSC ]...said..."one of the problems we have is that 
the machine does look primitive. We are working on a new model
that has flashing lights" ....
In Baghdad on Saturday  [ 1/23/2010 ] the devices were very much
still in use. "I didn't believe in this device in the first place," said a 
police officer at a checkpoint in central Baghdad....."I was forced to
use it by my superiors and I am still forced to do so....." Another
checkpoint officer said he blamed corrupt officials for bringing
the ADE651 in. "Our government is to be blamed for all the 
thousands of innocent lives who were lost since these devices
have been used......"

End quoted material. You can, or at least used to be able to,
see similar "devices" sold in treasure-hunter and gold
prospecting hobby magazines. You pays $100s more and
you gets what, you gets  more chrome, another whistle and
nothing more inside what is basically a smoothed-up
forked dowsing stick. My brother was prospecting gold
some decades back and met an old timer who was using
such a device. My brother was able to inspect it and 
actually get inside. There were a few pots not connected
to anything. Now be sure to get those settings just 
right, or you won't find the treasure, or bomb, or
whatever.
via: Hue Miller