Two high/medium energy mobile X-ray scanners have arrived in T&T and will soon be deployed at the ports in Port-of-Spain and Point Lisas.

In January 2024, the Finance Ministry signed a contract with Canadian-based Sectus Technologies for the purchase of four scanners to be used for the inspection of imports and exports.

The remaining two have shipped and are expected to arrive by November 24th 2024.

According to the Ministry, the procurement came at a total cost of US$12 million, which includes maintenance and technician training for Customs and Excise personnel.

These scanners, which were built in and shipped from Paris, France, allow trained operators to view the contents of loaded trucks, containers and vehicles.

The Ministry says its high-performance imaging is expected to play a significant role in improving national security by enhancing the capabilities of the Customs and Excise Division in detecting a wide range of contraband items including weapons.

It adds, “…the scanners will assist the Customs and Excise Division to more quickly and efficiently scan and inspect vehicles, trucks, or shipping containers which would limit the need to unload or manually inspect items, thereby increasing throughput while still maintaining high security.”