MILWAUKEE, Wi– Recently U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Port of Milwaukee seized an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Slot Machine Jamming Device Kit. These devices are designed to "jam" the inner workings of a slot machine. Slot Machine Jamming Devices are prohibited by the Federal Communication Commission.
CBP officers in Milwaukee on February 4.
On February 4, CBP officers working at the Port of Milwaukee Express Consignment Operations facility inspected a shipment arriving from Hong Kong. Officers examined the shipment to determine the admissibility of the shipment. Inside officers discovered an ElectroMagnetic Pulse (EMP) slot machine jamming device kit. An EMP generator is a device that creates an electromagnetic pulse which disrupts electronics from about a meter’s range. It works by sending an electric current through a magnetic field, in most cases this is a magnetic coated copper wire.
"These devices are dangerous when they end up in the wrong person’s hands,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director, Field Operations-Chicago. “There are a variety of nefarious ways these tools can be used. 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.”
The shipment was arriving from an electronics supplier in Hong Kong and was heading for a residence in Mosinee. The shipment was manifested as a car adapter. This device was identified by the Federal Bureau of Investigations Headquarters' Mechanical Engineering Division after further analysis.
“Our officers will continue to see these types of illicit devices arriving from foreign locations,” said Holly Smith, Port Director-Milwaukee. “The illegal importation of these devices has the potential to be a very serious criminal act. I give the officers credit for helping to maintain the integrity of our communication systems and protecting the citizens of the United States.”
CBP’s efforts to combat the flow of illicit shipments are guided by a rigorous agency strategy and implemented through a multifaceted approach that includes collaboration and enhanced intelligence sharing with other agencies and foreign partners, specialized training programs, and emerging technology designed to detect illicit goods entering the United States via air, land, and sea.
CBP's border security mission is led at 328 ports of entry by CBP officers from the Office of Field Operations. Please visit CBP Ports of Entry to learn more about how CBP’s Office of Field Operations secures our nation’s borders. Learn more about CBP at www.CBP.gov.