Ilidža Municipality Gives Five Metal Detectors to FUCZ for Detecting Unexploded Ordnance in Water and on Land

Ilidža Municipality has provided five metal detectors intended for special tasks of detecting unexploded ordnance underwater to the Federal Administration of Civil Protection (FUCZ). The metal detectors will assist the diving-pyrotechnic team, as well as other FUCZ teams, in tasks of removing mine-explosive devices from rivers and lakes left over from wars fought in this region, FUCZ announced, as reported by the Patria agency.

These are two metal detectors manufactured by “Vallon” with an additional tube and electronics protection (type MW1630B) and three metal detectors from the same manufacturer (type VMW-1). All five metal detectors are intended for detecting mine-explosive devices underwater, with the possibility of use on land as well, with the note that when used underwater, two detectors can be used up to 55 meters, and three up to 30 meters depth.

- These detectors will contribute to more efficient work of the FUCZ diving-pyrotechnic team, and their use is planned as early as the beginning of next week within two expert missions this year for the removal and destruction of aerial bombs in the Sava River in Bosanski Brod, which is already underway, and the mission to remove mine-explosive devices and unexploded ordnance in the Drina River near Goražde (August 27 - September 10) as part of cooperation between the special diving activities team of the National Police of the Czech Republic and FUCZ members.

After the floods that hit Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2014, there was a shift in minefields and water retention in some areas, making it very important to inspect those water surfaces.

The FUCZ diving-pyrotechnic team, together with colleagues from the special diving unit of the National Police of the Czech Republic, has carried out several operations in the past period to remove mine-explosive devices from the Drina, Sava, Una rivers, and Crno Lake, and in October last year, members of the FUCZ diving-pyrotechnic team successfully conducted the first independent operation to extract an unexploded artillery shell from the Buna River in Blagaj near Mostar, thereby eliminating the potential danger it posed to the residents of this settlement.

So far, cooperation between FUCZ and Ilidža Municipality has been exceptionally good, especially noted during the floods. In cooperation with FUCZ, several significant demining projects have been implemented so far.