During the past month, two attempts to smuggle explosives from Ecuador to Colombia were thwarted. In both cases, the items were camouflaged inside or among food items, as well as other items. In the first incident, bars of gel explosive were concealed inside split loom tubing, and bullets were hidden inside coconuts. In the second incident, bars of pentolite explosive were hidden inside sacks of onions and carrots.
Explosives concealment is a very common phenomenon around the world and over time, the concealment methods have become increasingly creative. The use of real or artificial food products for the purpose of concealment is common and is sometimes even preferred by terrorists and criminals, but there is also a wide use of furniture, clothing items and various objects for the same purpose.
Although the perpetrators often favor proven tactics, new concealment methods are also regularly witnessed. The continuous development of ways to conceal explosives demonstrates the continued interest of terrorists and criminals in misleading security forces, and poses a challenge to the latter, despite the many means of detection available to them, forcing them to use advanced detection equipment as basic procedure.
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