Fake bomb detectors reported at Egyptian Red Sea resort hotels

As thousands of tourists continue to be stranded in the Egyptian Red Sea resort Sharm el-Sheikh, reports have exposed that explosive detectors being used by some hotel staff are fake. 

"Security guards at hotels in the Red Sea resort have been seen using gadgets believed to be based on those sold around the world by jailed British conmen and women," reported the Independent on Tuesday. 

Following the Russian airliner KGL9268 crash that killed 224 passengers on board on 31 October, Egyptian authorities have assured tourists that security measures are been heightened to ensure their safety. 

Routine British flights between the UK and Sharm el-Sheikh were suspended after US and UK officials said they believe the Russian plane that crashed over the Sinai peninsula may have been brought down by an explosive device.

The Islamic State affiliate Wilayat Sinai has claimed responsibility for the crash. 

The British government's decision was shortly followed by Russian President Vladimir Putin ordering the suspension of flights to all Egyptian airports. He had previously accused Britain of acting prematurely in deciding to suspend its flights. 

The allegations however come after similar reports of inadequate security measures in Sharm el-Sheikh. 

A British tourist told the Independent last week that he had been "offered the chance to pay £20 to skip queues and baggage checks" at Sharm el-Sheikh airport when he visited earlier in the year.

Some US and European officials have said that intelligence reporting is leaning toward terrorism as a cause of the crash.

While there is no conclusive proof yet, the sound of an apparent explosion was heard on the flight recorder of the Russian-operated plane after it was investigated on Saturday.

Observers said the new findings add evidence that a bomb was smuggled aboard, giving further credence to the idea that the plane crash was a terrorist act rather than because of structural failure.