Detection and imaging of chemicals and hidden explosives using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and deep learning

Detecting concealed chemicals and explosives remains a critical challenge in global security. Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) offers a promising non-invasive and stand-off detection technique owing to its ability to penetrate optically opaque materials without causing ionization damage. While many chemicals Read More …

South Carolina: Researcher targets faster, smarter detection of explosive and other hazardous materials

Clemson University chemist Kirkland Sheriff has received an Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellowship to continue his research to develop sensors that can rapidly detect explosives and other hazardous materials. The research is especially relevant in an era where improvised explosive Read More …

Characterization of explosives in a controlled blast chamber using single-particle mass spectrometer for post-blast particle analysis

The detection and characterization of post-blast residues is critical for forensic attribution, explosive safety assessments, and environmental monitoring. In this study, five high explosives, HMX, TNT, Composition B, HNS, and PETN, were detonated under controlled chamber conditions and analyzed in Read More …

Chemists develop contactless system to detect Fentanyl, explosives and other harmful substances

A system that detects trace levels of fentanyl, cocaine, explosives and other harmful substances through the air has been created by researchers at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. New test results of a device based on the Read More …

Turkish intel foils second pager bomb plot targeting Lebanon

In September 2024, Israel remotely detonated explosive-laden pagers across various Hezbollah-controlled areas in Lebanon, killing nine and injuring thousands. The operation, described by Mossad chief David Barnea as a “turning point in the north,” marked one of Israel’s most covert Read More …

Study opens the door for stronger evidence in bomb handling cases

Scientists have for the first time provided insight into how bomb residue transfers to the hands of suspects, which could lead to stronger evidence in court. The study, which was led by a team from King’s College London and published Read More …

European team to train Pakistani airport staff in security protocols

Next week, a team from the European Civil Aviation agency will visit Pakistan for a special training program. This will be the first time airport staff receive specialized training in aviation security from European experts. The training sessions will take Read More …

Assessment of handheld Raman spectroscopy for forensic analysis of dark-colored bulk explosive fuel–oxidizer mixtures

The field identification of explosives is critical for crime response, requiring specialized protocols and often the support of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams to ensure safety. Handheld Raman spectrometers are widely used for this purpose due to their portability, nondestructive Read More …

Belgium: Security checks failed to detect explosives in Charleroi airport luggage

According to several sources inside the airport, two security checks were organised in February. In both cases, the aim was to check whether the officers were able to detect explosive powder hidden in checked luggage. During the first so-called “covert” Read More …

TSA: Tri-agency collaboration printing outside the lines

Louisiana Lead Explosives Specialist and Innovation Officer Mike Nelson’s invention puts new field explosive screening kits at the tips of officers’ fingers. The unassuming holder neatly organizes and conveniently dispenses supply kits used in the screening protocol for explosive trace Read More …

Michigan: A look behind the scenes of explosive detection at Detroit Metro Airport

Most people don’t even know there is an elite team dedicated to detecting explosives at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. It’s a big job, and the explosive detection specialists at Detroit Metro Airport understand and appreciate the high stakes of Read More …

NIJ: Advances in Detecting and Identifying Explosives After an Attack

The investigation following an explosion or bombing plays a vital role in uncovering the truth about the incident. Criminal justice practitioners often need to build cases and attribute involvement in a crime by locating and using trace amounts of evidence Read More …

Coordinated TSA security operations a success at Super Bowl LVIII

LAS VEGAS – With the inaugural Super Bowl held in Las Vegas in the books, attention turned to Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) Monday morning for the traditional post-game “get away” and a surge in the number of departing travelers Read More …

Repurposed Technology Could Help Protect Soldiers

Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD – An unlikely fusion of ink, ingenuity, and integrated teamwork is applying an existing technology to the challenge of sampling and detecting explosives. At the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC), Read More …

North Carolina: TSA opens new security checkpoint at Charlotte Douglas International Airport

Officials with Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) today previewed the new security checkpoint in the airport terminal. Checkpoint 1, which is located at the west end of the new terminal lobby, will feature eight Read More …

Improving the speed and safety of airport security screening

For decades, airports around the nation have employed sensitive canine noses to detect concealed explosives. While this four-legged fleet has been effective and efficient, researchers have yet to build a mechanical method that can mimic their abilities. Sasha Wrobel and Read More …

Swiss police arrest man found with explosive traces near country’s parliament

Swiss police arrested a man found with traces of explosives outside the country’s parliament on Tuesday, sparking a security alert that shut down part of Bern for several hours. The man, who has not been named, was stopped by security Read More …

UK: Survey of explosives contamination in the environment

Scientists from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) will shortly conduct an environmental survey across a number of different locations to detect and identify traces of explosives that are present in the general environment. The data is used to Read More …

India: Researchers at IIT Bombay design hand-held device that can detect explosives

Researchers at the National Center of Excellence in Technology for Internal Security (NCETIS) of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, have designed a hand-held explosive detection device that can detect explosives. Director, Subhasis Chaudhuri, on Tuesday, announced that some Read More …

Sarajevo International Airport has issued a public call for the procurement of an explosive detection system

As stated in the tender documentation, the value of the procurement is 6.38 million KM, and the contract will be awarded to the bidder who submits the best evaluated acceptable bid. Bids in which the delivery deadline is longer than Read More …