The police this evening denied that drug detector sets bought in 1998 were 'little more than toys' as claimed in sections of the media, and said that they had been successfully used by the drug squad.

The police said that in 1998 two drug detection kits were bought from a Kent-based company .

"On the basis of information from experts who have used the kits in Malta, the Corps does not agree with allegations that this equipment is some sort of toy since these kits sometimes gave positive results and the Drug Squad was able to detect drugs through its use," the police said.

The police said the efficiency of the kits depended on the operators using them.

Nonetheless, the police said they were in contact with the UK authorities to seek more information on the allegations that had been made.

Criticism of the equipment has focused on its bomb detection capabilities.

A BBC Newsnight investigation showed that the supposed detectors were incapable of detecting explosives or anything else. It said there were concerns that they have failed to stop bomb attacks which have killed hundreds of people. The British Foreign Office told the BBC that it would now be urgently warning all governments who may have bought devices such as the ADE651 and GT200 that they are "wholly ineffective" at detecting bombs and explosives.

The ADE651 is made by a company from Somerset called ATSC. The director of the company, Jim McCormick, was arrested at the beginning of this month on suspicion of misrepresentation.

The GT200 is sold by Global Technical in Kent.

The BBC caried comments by Patrick Cuschieri, head of security at Malta International Airtport had told the BBC that the so-called "bomb detectors" were little more than toys. He had evaluated an example when he worked for the Customs Department.

See also

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/9378684.stm