New port scanners to emit six million radioactive electrons, Customs warn

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has warned port users to stay away from the soon-to-be deployed port scanners, warning that the scanners have a capacity to emit six million radioactive electrons which is very high and dangerous for human contact. This is even as the Service warned that port users won’t be allowed near the scanning zone aside from the Image Analyst and the Maintenance Officer.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune on the sideline of a sensitisation meeting by the Customs for deployment of non-intrusive technology at the ports, the Controller, Non-Intrusive Inspection Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service, Deputy Controller Paul Ekpeyong, explained that port users are vehemently warned against going near the scanner when it is in operation.

According to DC Ekpeyong, “These scanners have the energy of six million electron volts. That is very high when we consider friendliness to the environment.

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“However, the good thing about these scanners is that they do not use natural sources of radiation. In other climes, they use natural sources of radiation, which includes magnesium and others. What this means is that such scanners will constantly be emitting x-rays, and there will be a need to have a good container to control the x-rays.

“What we decided to go for is the type of scanners that only emits x-rays at the point of usage. Our scanners will be using electrical energy and will be emitting x-rays artificially, not naturally. Once we switch off the board, there won’t be any radiation. The board will only be switched on when containers are parked for scanning. Once the scanning is over, the radiation cuts off completely.

“However, to protect port users, we have made physical protection around the scanners. There will be an area where we call the scanning zone, nobody will be allowed to go beyond that area aside from the Image Analyst and the Maintenance Officer. Every other person will be restricted to outside the scanning zone.

“Secondly, the scanning area won’t be a place for refreshment or leisure. People won’t be allowed to enter the scanning zone for their own safety. More so, the idea behind the scanning technology is to enforce a contactless clearing process, so we won’t be allowing anybody aside the Image Analyst and the Maintenance Officer inside the scanning zone.”

Also shedding more light on how the scanners would work, DC Ekpeyong explained that all the scanning lanes will still be functional in the new non-intrusive regime.

“Yes, all the scanning lanes will still be functional. We will still have the red lane, light red lane, yellow lane and green lane all functional under the new regime that will soon kick off. In the system already, we have a scanning lane except that there was no scanner. What we have just done is to deploy the scanners; it doesn’t affect the already established lanes. They will still be working.”