Radioactive Detection Equipment (RDE) has been installed at the Integrated Check-Post (ICP) at Attari border with Pakistan, a measure taken by the Indian government to prevent the smuggling of radioactive materials.

All trucks coming from Afghanistan carrying dry fruits, onions and garlic are scanned with each vehicle taking up to three minutes for a radioactive scan, reports New Indian Express.

The machine is being placed across seven other ICPs in the country.

A senior official of the Land Port Authority of India (LPAI) at the Attari ICP told the newspaper the RDE has started scanning around 50 vehicles in a drive-through monitoring station.

“The RDE is a full-body truck scanner and it is basically an X-ray of a truck to detect smuggling of radioactive material,’’ he said.

A server room, has been set up which controls the RDE at the ICP. It is currently operated by LPAI officials, the newspaper reported.

The BSF will later take over it.

“We plan to conduct an extensive training programme after RDEs are installed at eight ICPs,’’ the official told The News Indian Express, adding that a similar device is also installed at Raxaul along the Nepal border.

Sources told the newspaper that the RDE is also being installed at seven ICPs in Moreh along the Myanmar border and Petrapole, Agartala, Dawki and Sutarkandi along the Bangladesh border.