India installs full-body truck scanner at Pakistan border to detect smuggling of arms, radioactive material

NEW DELHI : Amid the ongoing situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan, India has installed its first Radiation Detection Equipment (RDE) at Integrated Check Post (ICP) at the Attari border with Pakistan.

The Land Ports Authority of India has revealed a full-body truck scanner that can detect smuggling of illegal items including arms and ammunition or radioactive materials.

Mr. Aditya Mishra, the Chairman of The Land Ports Authority of India said that the device is called a full-body truck scanner. “It is basically an X-ray of a truck to detect any smuggling of arms, ammunition, or other illegal articles.,” he said.

He added that the machines will help the border guarding forces to detect and deter illicit trafficking or smuggling of radioactive materials across the international border.

While India has suspended trade with Pakistan, trucks from Afghanistan are entering the country via Pakistan through the Attari border. Every day, nearly 30 trucks of dry fruits and fruits from Afghanistan cross the Attari border.

An official said that India has trade via a land route with Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan, Pakistan and Afghanistan (via Pakistan). There is no trade with China through land routes.

News agency ANI stated that there are seven more RDEs are in the pipeline. The Land Ports Authority of India will install these at the ICPs at Attari (Pakistan border), Petrapole, Dawki, Agartala and Sutarkani (Bangladesh Border), Moreh (Myanmar border) and Raxaul and Jogbani (Nepal border).

The government has a few days ago also issued a tender for installing the RDEs at all the remaining ICPs on the borders.

Notably, Pakistan on Thursday temporarily closed a key border crossing with Afghanistan, apparently due to fear of the influx of refugees willing to leave their country after the Taliban seized power on August 15.

Source : TIMESNOWNEWS