GHANA INSTALLS AIRPORT BODY SCANNER; BUSTS

UNCLAS ACCRA 000103 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR INL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR GH SUBJECT: GHANA INSTALLS AIRPORT BODY SCANNER; BUSTS SMUGGLERS ¶1. (U) Summary: On January 12, 2010, Dutch contractor OD Security completed installation of the INL funded full body scanner at Accra's international airport (KIA). Officials of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) and Ghana Airports Authority (GAA) were trained, and NACOB now maintains responsibility for the equipment. INL procured the scanner, and AFRICOM funded construction of the climate controlled room to house the machine. NACOB and GAA are screening about 30 departing passengers a day, and within the first two weeks, officials caught two drug smugglers. End Summary ¶2. (U) On January 12, 2010, OD Security completed installation of a USG funded Soter RS x-ray system in one concourse at KIA. INL purchased the machine and donated it to NACOB to help stop the flow of illegal drugs leaving Accra's airport. AFRICOM funded construction of the room specially designed to house the machine. ¶3. (SBU) The Soter RS uses low radiation to scan the human body and within ten seconds reveals any hidden items. NACOB requested this machine as an alternative to sending passengers suspected of ingesting drugs to a nearby hospital to wait for an x-ray. Airport officials can now determine on-site if a passenger is smuggling contraband. ¶4. (SBU) Following installation and two days of training, ten employees of NACOB and GAA are screening about 30 passengers a day with the machine. The screened passengers are selected based on a profile as a potential smuggler. Within the first two weeks of operation, two smugglers were arrested. One passenger was caught when the machine showed cannabis stuffed in his undershorts; another had ingested cocaine packets that were detected by the machine. ¶5. (SBU) GOG officials have asked the USG for a second body scanner that would be used for screening passengers departing the VIP lounge and the second concourse. TEITELBAUM