Loretana
Senior Nomad
Posts: 825
Registered: 5-19-2006
Location: Oregon/Loreto
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Mood: alegre
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"Magic Wand" drug detectors
I saw this in use at the military checkpoint south of Ensenada back in July. We asked one of the soldiers what the deal was, but they didn't want to
talk about it. According to the NY Times article, it sounds like a waste of money.
 They only cost $20K each!
<<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/16/world/americas/16mexico.html>>
"If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration."
-Nikola Tesla
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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"But in November, at a checkpoint on the highway leading from Mexico City to Monterrey, the same device pointed at a Volkswagen containing a man, a
woman and a child. Soldiers surrounded the vehicle and a search was conducted for illegal drugs. But all they found was a bottle of Tylenol —
evidence, the soldier operating the device said, of how sensitive the GT 200 was."
---------------
What nonsense. I wonder who paid for these gizmos?
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capt. mike
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8085
Registered: 11-26-2002
Location: Bat Cave
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Mood: Sling time!
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remember when Jim gave Dwight a customs wand and labeled it as a "gay" detector.....when Dwight waived it over Oscar it went off....belt buckle of
course..
then Dwight tested himself...same thing - belt buckle.
Dwight was pretty upset to learn he was gay.... not that there's anything wrong with that!
they used the nuclear sniffer on my plane sun in nogales.... new toy CBP and DHS has.
i told them they were wasting my time and theirs... i had no nukes on board....just my usual compliment of bunker busters 500 lb ers.... 
formerly Ordained in Rev. Ewing\'s Church by Mail - busted on tax fraud.......
Now joined L. Ron Hoover\'s church of Appliantology
\"Remember there is a big difference between kneeling down and bending over....\"
www.facebook.com/michael.l.goering |
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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Anyone wanna bet that the $10 mil spent on those magic wands didn't come from Uncle Sam via the Merida Initiative?? Looks like maybe the US hasn't
cornered the market in overpaying for useless crap.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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| Quote: | Originally posted by capt. mike
they used the nuclear sniffer on my plane sun in nogales.... new toy CBP and DHS has.
i told them they were wasting my time and theirs... i had no nukes on board....just my usual compliment of bunker busters 500 lb ers....
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A while back, I drove an old beater pickup with a shell through the border. The guard asked me if I had any illegals buried in the back. I said no,
I use my big truck for that.
He laughed so hard I think he peed his pants.
That, of course, was pre 911.
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DianaT
Select Nomad
Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
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I remember that they were using those "Magic Wands" for a while, but has anyone seen one lately?
Dennis, that is really a good one.
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BajaGeoff
Super Nomad
Posts: 1727
Registered: 1-11-2006
Location: San Diego and Campo Lopez
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Mood: Heading To Baja!!!
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Some friends were crossing back Sunday night from the San Felipe 250 and the wand went nuts when they were inspecting their truck. Apparently my
friend Cindy had an MRI last week and the wand was detecting the residual radiation. Crazy.
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DianaT
Select Nomad
Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BajaGeoff
Some friends were crossing back Sunday night from the San Felipe 250 and the wand went nuts when they were inspecting their truck. Apparently my
friend Cindy had an MRI last week and the wand was detecting the residual radiation. Crazy. |
That is creepy in more ways than one! 
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Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
Registered: 11-5-2002
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If they ever get down to around $20.00 I might buy one. Been looking for this 'killer' joint I misplaced 30 years ago.
Guess I'll go check the dirty clothes hamper...again.
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Hook
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9011
Registered: 3-13-2004
Location: Sonora
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Mood: Inquisitive
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DianaT
I remember that they were using those "Magic Wands" for a while, but has anyone seen one lately? |
They were using them in both directions when I crossed on the Santa Rosalia ferry in early December 2009.
I assumed it was an explosive detector, as they had dogs sniffing as well.
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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Not old news, just the same news.
The dogs, wand, helicopter, 25ft panga with marines, etc..have been all over the area shores for a week or so. Somebody reported a few bales on a
Concepcion island beach. Again. It happens at least once a year. We don't know if this report was a hoax or not, nor do we care. The military come
and search..and leave. No problems, very reserved of course...they are professionals, but very cordial folks. We invite them in for coffee or sodas
with cookies. Use of a bathroom. Been going on for many, many years now. The only thing new..is the wand..which is rather cool.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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nancyinpdx
Nomad
Posts: 233
Registered: 1-16-2009
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Mood: muy eccentrica
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i hope they ban its use soon since it gives false positives. We could get minute amounts of drug residue on us or our stuff from anything even a
hotel room, bathrooms, money, stepping on something, etc. I had a really scary run in with the cops in Mexico when I was innocent so the use of this
device makes me very nervous.
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Like this?????
Look at the photo....anything like this??????
http://www.ministryoftruth.me.uk/2009/11/05/british-company-...
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elgatoloco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4346
Registered: 11-19-2002
Location: Yes
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We have a friend who was crossing in his car via Sentri a few days ago and was sent to secondary because the detectors as you drive thru went off due
to his having had gotten a recent injection of radiated dye as a follow up to a heart attack a few years ago.
MAGA
marooons Are Governing America
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irenemm
Senior Nomad
Posts: 623
Registered: 7-16-2009
Location: vicente guerrero, baja
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Mood: relaxed
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they still use it north of santa tomas check point sometimes. have seen it many times and always find someone with medicine. except we always have
tons of medicine for my husbands diabetics. high blood pressure and cholerstol. never have asked us. I do have a bottle of oxeycontin from an injury a
few yeras ago and they still never ask us.
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El Norte
Junior Nomad
Posts: 28
Registered: 10-26-2003
Location: los Barriles/South Okanagan
Member Is Offline
Mood: Que Pasa
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I was stopped at the checkpoint north of Santo Tomas in October. A soldier walked by my tow behind enclosed |ATV trailer with this device. I saw it
deflect. That resulted in an hour long detailed inspection of the trailer which had nothing remarkable in it except an ATV and all sorts of materials
bound for my los Barriles casita. My 2 sets of travel companions with similar rigs were waved on through and waited down the road. I always wondered
what the device was until this thread. The only item which matches the information provided in the link posted by BajaGuy was 2 gerry cans of Diesel.
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
Member Is Offline
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False Positives?
| Quote: | Originally posted by nancyinpdx
i hope they ban its use soon since it gives false positives. We could get minute amounts of drug residue on us or our stuff from anything even a
hotel room, bathrooms, money, stepping on something, etc. I had a really scary run in with the cops in Mexico when I was innocent so the use of this
device makes me very nervous. |
Show me any technology that won't produce false positives. It goes with the territory. Don't care if you're talking about mammograms or PSI tests. It
happens.
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