see also: in May 2007 News Releases:   Agriculture Inspection, User Fee Requirements Begin June 1 for Commercial Trucks, Railroad Cars Entering U.S. From Canada   Customs and Border Protection starts 2007 Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act Cycle   New Mexico Border Patrol Seizes Nearly $1.5 Million in Marijuana   Suspected Child Molester, FBI Top 10 Fugitive Turned Over to Buffalo Customs and Border Protection   Jayson P. Ahern Announced as Next CBP Deputy Commissioner   CBP Border Patrol Continues Recruiting With Help of Car #28   Electronic Manifest Filing Now Mandatory in Michigan and New York ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers   SFI: Secure Freight Initiative

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Washington — In partnership with the government of Pakistan, the Secure Freight Initiative designed to safeguard global maritime cargo, began transmitting data from a new radiation scanning system on Monday. The goal of the Secure Freight Initiative is to provide nuclear and radiological detection for shipping containers destined to the U.S. at Port Qasim in Karachi, Pakistan.

This is a joint effort of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, an agency of the Department of Homeland Security, and the Departments of Energy and State. Its goal is to establish six Secure Freight Initiative prototype ports in key locations around the world.

"As fellow members of the world community, preventing a nuclear weapon or dirty bomb attack has to be one of the highest priorities for both our nations,” said CBP’s Assistant Commissioner for Field Operations Jayson P. Ahern. “This initiative advances a comprehensive strategy to secure the global supply chain and substantially limits the potential for terrorist threats. The operational testing of full-scale radiation scanning and X-ray imaging at Port Qasim, with near real-time data transmission to the host government and resources in the United States, represents a significant leap forward in developing the next generation of technology to expand border security and strengthen the global supply chain."

Pakistan Prime Minister Shukat Aziz attended the launch ceremony on Monday, along with Ahern, and other officials from CBP, Energy and State.

“This facility is a preventive tool in the global war on terror that will make our borders safer and will increase the economic efficiency of Pakistani exports,” said U.S. Charge d' Affaires Peter W. Bodde. “It will also increase the security of the international supply chain for shippers utilizing Port Qasim, one of only three locations in the world selected for this testing phase, reflecting the close cooperation between our two countries.”

Port Qasim is part of the first group of ports installing integrated cargo scanning capabilities in Phase I of the Secure Freight Initiative. Under the initiative, the capability to scan 100 percent of all cargo bound for the United States with radiation detection and non-intrusive imaging equipment will be evaluated at three initial ports. Data from these systems is then provided to U.S. officials at the National Targeting Center for analysis, thus fulfilling the pilot requirements set out by Congress in the Security and Accountability For Every Port Act of 2006, the SAFE Port Act.

Three additional ports have been added to the Phase I evaluation and will provide radiation scanning on a limited capacity basis: Singapore’s Brani terminal; Busan, Korea’s Gamman terminal; and Salalah, Oman. These ports were chosen to help determine the impact of scanning at large volume ports, as well as at ports where a large number of transshipments are processed.

Operational testing of Secure Freight equipment began at Puerto Cortés, Honduras on April 2. Integrated scanning of U.S.-bound containers at the third port, Southampton, United Kingdom, is scheduled to begin testing later this summer.

CBP Assistant Commissioner for International Affairs and Trade Relations, Michael C. Mullen praised the cooperation between the United States and Pakistan. "We sincerely appreciate the participation of the government of Pakistan and its terminal operators," said Mullen. "International container security is vital to the economic and security interests of every nation playing a role in the global supply chain and the government of Pakistan has shown great foresight for the security of its citizens and those around the world by joining this initiative."

Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, Will Tobey, also offered his congratulations to the Pakistan government. “Under our Megaports Initiative, we are currently working in over 20 countries to deploy radiation detection systems at major seaports. We are very pleased that Pakistan is also participating in this important nuclear-security effort.”

Secure Freight Initiative Executive Director Allen Gina reviewed current capabilities in Pakistan. "We have reviewed operations at Port Qasim, one of our first ports testing the new integrated scanning system, and are very encouraged by the results. Data signals from both the first and second radiation portal monitors and the X-ray imaging system were received at the National Targeting Center in the United States. Alarms were tested and the first container was processed, which did not activate alarms. No notification issues were raised. We now begin ramping up capabilities to scan all U.S.-bound containers."

As required in the SAFE Port Act, Phase I of the radiation scanning project will be operational one year from the date the law was enacted October 13,2006. Phase I results will provide guidance on future port expansion.

Port Qasim was selected as an initial Secure Freight Initiative port due to the strong political will of the host nation, the unique nature of its operation in a strategic location, and its processing of a significant amount of transshipments.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.