Slot Machine Jamming Device Seized At Port Of Milwaukee: Customs

MILWAUKEE, WI — U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized an electromagnetic pulse device from the Port of Milwaukee on Feb. 4. The agency says the device, which is prohibited by the FCC, was designed to jam slot machines.

Officers working at the port's Express Consignment Operations facility were inspecting a shipment from Hong Kong to determine if it was admissable when they discovered the EMP device, according to a news release from U.S. Customs. The device can send an electric pulse with a magnetic field, disrupting other electronics within a meter, the agency said.

If it were to end up in the wrong hands, it could be dangerous, according to LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, the director of the agency's field operations in 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," Sutton-Burke said in the release.

The shipment was headed for a residence in Mosinee, and the form provided to customs about the contents of the package claimed it was a car adapter. The Federal Bureau of Investigations Headquarters' Mechanical Engineering Division discovered the true nature of the device, the news release said.

"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."