Security officials at Tokyo's Haneda airport tested a new device Tuesday to detect explosives that may slip through conventional X-ray detectors.
The new device developed by Hitachi Ltd. uses a special method to detect acetone peroxide, an ingredient of high explosives. The substance can be produced from chemicals that can be obtained relatively easily on the market.
Acetone peroxide was used in the 2005 terrorist attacks in London, in which more than 50 people were killed in explosions on three subway trains and a double-decker bus.
The government commissioned Hitachi to develop the next-generation bomb detector to beef up security at airports.
