Pepper grenadeNew non-lethal weapon against terrorism: spicy pepper
Classic Tabasco sauce ranges from 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville units (the scientific measurement of a chili’s spiciness), while jalapeno peppers measure anywhere from 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville; India’s bhut jolokia has more than 1,000,000 Scoville units, and it is accepted by Guinness World Records in 2007 as the world’s spiciest chili; the Indian military has now developed a bhut jolokia hand grenade to be used against unruly mobs and to flush out hiding terrorists
Bhut Jolokia on the vine // Source: tomisimo.org
The Indian military has a new weapon against terrorism, the world’s hottest chili. After conducting tests, the military has decided to use the thumb-sized “bhut jolokia” to make tear gas-like hand grenades to immobilize suspects.
Times of Assam reports that the bhut jolokia was accepted by Guinness World Records in 2007 as the world’s spiciest chili. It is grown and eaten in India’s northeast for its taste, as a cure for stomach troubles and a way to fight the crippling summer heat. It has more than 1,000,000 Scoville units, the scientific measurement of a chili’s spiciness. Classic Tabasco sauce ranges from 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville units, while jalapeno peppers measure anywhere from 2,500 to 8,000.
“The chili grenade has been found fit for use after trials in Indian defense laboratories, a fact confirmed by scientists at the Defense Research and Development Organization,” Col. R. Kalia, a defense spokesman in the northeastern state of Assam said. “This is definitely going to be an effective nontoxic weapon because its pungent smell can choke terrorists and force them out of their hide-outs,” R. B. Srivastava, the director of the Life Sciences Department at the New Delhi headquarters of the DRDO said. Srivastava, who led a defense research laboratory in Assam, said trials are also on to produce bhut jolokia based aerosol sprays to be used by women against attackers and for the police to control and disperse mobs.
It will be worth observing, while Insurgents today have all sort of latest weapons, how the decision and theory of using Bhut Jolokia in ammunition by Indian Army will bring success, especially that too when the weapon itself is something Indian insurgents(specially the North Eastern Insurgents) are adapt to eating with food.
