ADE 651 fake bomb detectors bought by the Ministry of Interior (from 2007 to 2010)
Iraq's Interior Ministry bought thousands of ADE 651 "bomb detectors", devices with no working electronics, from the UK firm ATSC owned by James McCormick, and deployed them at checkpoints for years. McCormick was convicted of fraud at the Old Bailey on 23 April 2013 and sentenced on 2 May 2013 to 10 years; in 2016 he was ordered to forfeit £7,944,834. In Iraq, Maj. Gen. Jihad al-Jabiri, head of the ministry's anti-explosives directorate, was arrested in February 2011; Reuters reported he had recommended five contracts at £23,548 to £34,703 per device. UK reporting in 2013 said he had been jailed for corruption with two others.
- Period
- From January 2007 to July 2016
- Sector
- Defence and securityInterior Ministry procurement, fake detection devices
- Kind of case
- Criminal prosecution
- Jurisdiction
- More than one jurisdiction
How the money moved
Overpriced no-bid contracts for a fake device, allegedly secured by bribes to Iraqi officials paid through a bank in Beirut; public safety cost as checkpoints relied on the device.
What happened
UK: McCormick convicted and assets confiscated. Iraq: Jabiri arrested (2011) and reportedly jailed; devices withdrawn from use only in July 2016 after the Karrada bombing.
Open questions
- Iraqi court verdicts for Jabiri and two other officials (dates, sentences, amnesty?).
- Total Iraq paid (reconcile $40m, £52m, $85m figures).
- Did Iraq receive any compensation from the UK confiscation order?
People and companies
| Name | Role in the case | Legal status | Detail | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James McCormick جيمس ماكورميك | Owner/MD of ATSC Ltd (UK) | Convicted (reported) | Convicted of fraud, Old Bailey, 23 April 2013; sentenced 2 May 2013 to 10 years (Judge Richard Hone); forfeiture £7,944,834 (2016); 842-day default term added in 2018 for £1.8m shortfall; reported released 2019. | 25 September 2026 |
| Maj. Gen. Jihad al-Jabiri اللواء جهاد الجابري | Head, MoI General Directorate for Combating Explosives | Convicted (reported) | Arrested February 2011 on corruption charges (confirmed by an Supreme Judicial Council official to Reuters). | 25 September 2026 |
| ATSC (Advanced Tactical Security & Communications Ltd) شركة ATSC البريطانية | Seller of ADE 651 | Not charged as of the date of writing | Company vehicle of McCormick (convicted). | 25 September 2026 |
Sources
- Reuters via International Business Times17 February 2011Press reportTier D
Iraq police official charged in bomb device scandal
OriginalAn Iraq Supreme Judicial Council official confirmed Jabiri's arrest on corruption charges
- BBC News23 April 2013Press reportTier D
James McCormick guilty of selling fake bomb detectors
Originalsold more than 6,000 in Iraq, the Old Bailey heard
- The Guardian (Morris, Jones, Booth)23 April 2013Press reportTier D
The "magic" bomb detector that endangered lives all over the world
OriginalArchived copyhas been jailed for corruption as a result of the inquiry along with two others
- BBC News15 June 2016Press reportTier D
Fake bomb detector seller James McCormick to forfeit £8m
OriginalIn total the proceeds of crime order amounted to £7,944,834.
- BBC News25 April 2018Press reportTier D
Fake bomb detector seller James McCormick jailed again
Originalreceived a default sentence of 842 days in prison
- Wikipedia25 September 2026Press reportTier D
ADE 651
OriginalMcCormick was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment on 2 May 2013.