The new system combines several innovative solutions - in addition to the usual X-ray solution, the machine is equipped with both a backscatter system and a radiation portal monitor.
The backscatter technology allows cargo to be X-rayed without having to separate consignments from each other, which significantly speeds up the inspection of containers and other large cargo. The radiation portal monitor helps detect radioactive substances from cargo containers and vehicles. In addition, the system offers exceptionally high image quality and requires the presence of only two officials instead of the current four.
According to Raigo Uukkivi, Director General of the Tax and Customs Board, the introduction of the new system marks a significant step forward in ensuring the security of both Estonia and Europe as a whole. "A faster, smarter and more thorough control of goods will protect the security and economic environment of Estonia as well as the EU. The main mission of customs is to ensure that legitimate goods can move quickly and smoothly, while at the same time stopping anything that threatens our security, economy, or people’s health," Uukkivi said.
Uukkivi added that with the help of the inspection system, narcotic drugs, weapons and their parts, illegal alcohol, cigarettes and also goods subject to sanctions can be found very quickly from large consignments. “Moreover, the system’s mobility gives us a lot of flexibility – the system that is mounted on a truck can travel along public roads and work across Estonia, from inland to border crossing points and ports,” Uukkivi added.
According to Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, the new inspection system given as a gift to the ETCB illustrates the close and diverse relations and very good cooperation between Estonia and the United States. "Estonia and the US understand the importance of strong borders and the introduction of US state-of-the-art technology in Estonia will undoubtedly strengthen the external border of the EU and NATO," Tsahkna said.
Minister of Finance Jürgen Ligi said that cooperation with the U.S. administration endures through time, as the goal of democracies is to ensure that trade is fair and remains legal. “We are not dependent on non-democracies, and the implementation of such cooperation projects is our common geopolitical victory,” Ligi emphasized.
„This mobile scanner brings the best technology on the market to bear in identifying a wide range of threats, from weapons and explosives to drugs and other contraband. Additionally, the scanner can help detect and counter illegal migration and trafficking,” Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the United States of America Matt Wall said.
A name competition was also organised for the system, which received more than 150 name suggestions. The name committee of the ETCB chose the name Argos, which derives from Greek mythology. Namely, Argos was a 100-eyed giant who was the guard and watchman of the goddess Hera. Like its mythological namesake, the new inspection system helps ensure order by seeing through the walls of a container or vehicle and discovering what is hidden from the naked eye.
The cost of Argos procured through a cooperation project between the US and Estonia and handed over to Estonia as a gift is 3.1 million euros. The 28-tonne machine can scan lorries as well as containers up to five meters high. This is the most powerful inspection system in the Baltics.
