The Sconi

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers recently seized Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) slot machine jamming devices at the Port of Milwaukee. 

EMPs, banned by the Federal Communication Commission according to a CBP news release, are used to “jam” a slot machine. The CBP noted in its release that the device creates a pulse that can disrupt electronics in about a three-foot radius. LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director of Field Operations-Chicago, said in the release that the devices can be dangers if they wind up in the wrong hands. 

“There are a variety of nefarious ways these tools can be used,” Sutton-Burke said in the news release. “These types of jammers are prohibited by federal law because they can be used to interfere with radio communications, cellular phones, GPSs and other communication devices.”

According to the release, CPB officers inspecting a shipment from Hong Kong were examining contents to ensure the contents were as labeled. 

CBP noted in its release that the shipment, manifested as car adapters, had come from a supplier in Hong Kong and was bound for a home in Mosinee. Analysis by the FBI confirmed the identification of the devices, according to the CBP release. 

Moreover, CBP noted in its release that it works with law enforcement and foreign partners to ferret out illicit shipments by adhering to an agency strategy and multi-pronged effort. The release noted that efforts include special training and new technology to detect illicit goods.