Smuggling via Shipping Containers could soon become a thing of the past with the invention of a giant CT scanner. The scanner is so large that it can provide detailed information about the contents of shipping containers, even enabling border agencies to see the internals of a car.
However, the one thing that is holding this project back from being a permanent fixture at borders is the giant turntable that is required for these scanners to do their work. The high cost and practical implications of providing these giant scanners is delaying the installation at the moment, but the future could see them as commonplace in most shipping ports.
The scanners would negate the need for border agencies and police to gain access to suspect containers, and possibly destroy vital evidence in the process. One of the most common fraudulent uses of shipping containers is to ship stolen vehicles, and the common use of the CT scanner would make it much more difficult for these to pass through customs unnoticed.
So keep an eye out for these super scanners at a shipping port near you in the future!