USAID’s Economic Resilience Activity (USAID ERA) has purchased and delivered 10 of 20 handheld scanners to the State Customs Service. The total cost of the equipment is about $1 million euro. The scanners will be deployed at the following 12 road BCPs: Yahodyn, Porubne, Uzhhorod, Luzhanka, Krasnoilsk, Diakivtsi, Chop (Tysa), Mamalyha, Rososhany, Starokozache, Mohyliv-Podilskyi, and Rava-Ruska BCPs.
Customs officials will use the U.S.-made hand-held scanning systems to detect third-party objects in vehicles. The use of these portable scanners is expected to speed up vehicle inspections and help prevent the movement of prohibited substances across the state border.
Cameron Berkuti, USAID ERA BCP Director, noted: “USAID ERA is actively modernizing Ukraine’s borders to expedite customs processes and overall border crossings. The scanners will enhance border security, speed up vehicle inspections at the borders.“
Handheld X-ray scanners are a fast and effective way to scan vehicles, eliminating the need for in-depth inspections and preventing contraband.
“Thanks to USAID ERA, modern scanners will now help us inspect vehicles and buses, detecting prohibited or undeclared goods that might be transported across the border. Previously, Сustoms officials relied on other technical means and visual inspections, but these new devices will increase the efficiency of Сustoms officers and speed up inspections at the border,” said Valerii Zhaldak, Director of the Department of Logistics and Property Management of the State Customs Service of Ukraine.
A tablet is used along with the scanner to show what the scanner “sees” on its screen, allowing Customs officers to work together to screen vehicles and luggage.
“The detailed inspection of one passenger car now takes up to thirty minutes because, if suspicious objects are detected, the paneling must be removed and hard-to-reach places checked. With this scanner, the inspection time will be reduced to ten minutes, significantly speeding up traffic,” shares Artem Mulenko, head of the department of mobile scanning systems at the Volyn Customs Service. “This scanner is designed to scan, for example, a single bag or the side wall of a car.”
Between 2023 and 2026, USAID, through ERA, is dedicating $115 million to support the Government of Ukraine. This support includes the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine (Ministry for Restoration), the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine (Agency for Restoration), the State Customs Service, and Ukrainian Railways (UZ) to upgrade 42 of Ukraine’s border crossing points (BCPs).