Kolkata: West Bengal’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is all set to procure two Total Containment Vessel (TCV) on trailer for its Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) units of Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport (Durgapur) and Cooch Behar Airport in the state.
The TCVs are containers mounted on a trailer which are designed to safely secure and transport potentially explosive devices, including bombs. This allows bomb squads to move the device to a controlled location for further evaluation and detonation, minimising the risk of damage to surrounding areas from a potential blast.
Sources told this newspaper that the CID is willing to procure two such TCVs-on-trailers which are capable of containing blasts of minimum 8 kg of high explosive (TNT) or equivalent quantity of explosives. A tender for the same has been floated, the source confirmed.
Further, it was learnt that the TCVs that CID is looking to procure must have a configured unit to allow future upgrade of the vessel to sealed capacity that can accommodate a device with chemical or biological hazard while the unit remains in the country. The sampling system must incorporate operation under vacuum such that a liquid or vapour sample can be taken of the vessel atmosphere without external contamination.
The vessel’s body should be made of high grade steel. The container should be reusable in the sense that it withstands repeated detonations with full capacity explosive. A radio frequency shield should be provided to stop or prevent the operation of all the radio-controlled Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
It should be capable of remotely operating the opening and closing, either by wireless remote control or convenient interface with standard EOD robots. Further, the TCVs should have a remote mobility platform that can move the containment vessel off the trailer and closer to the threat.
One of the vital specifications is a certified test report from the internationally recognised lab showing proof test with full capacity explosive. This should be submitted by the firm.