The psychology of the fake explosive detection racket

Written by S Johnson. Published on 26 April 2013.

Following on from Jim McCormick's prosecution this week in the UK questions still remain unanswered. They start with how is could take so many years before such an obvious fake was caught. More bruising though is the way in which agencies that should have known better behaved including:

Following on from Jim McCormick's prosecution this week in the UK questions still remain unanswered. They start with how is could take so many years before such an obvious fake was caught. More bruising though is the way in which agencies that should have known better behaved including:

Support from the British Military at export shows, helping convince people of its bona fides

The lack of action till years after the US had already closed the door on such scams

The limited ban of export, once the BBC exposed the scam, to prohibiting exports to Iraq and Afghanistan. Not only making no sense but actually suggesting a liability to the UK government by knowing the system was not safe (hence the ban) but not bothering to extend it to all exports.

The trialling of the system by the Royal Engineers at their search school

The inclusion of the system at a Nato Counter IED workshop

What on earth happened to the monitoring of the Iraqi Police by coalition forces?

All of these organisations can, and should have known better and unfortunately while it may not have been their intention, through omission of effort or thought they lent credence to a system that has undermined the security of many of the hardest struck countries around the world.

It certainly means that they and others need to take a fresh approach to activities in future and at the very least exercise a cursory examination of products they endorse, support or exhibit.

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