There is no foolproof method to detect irc operators. ConferenceRoom servers give administrators the option to "cloak" their operators at the flick of a mode switch. This isn't an /fjoin. I'm talking about a stealth oper mode that lets someone retain their 'power' w/o showing up AS an IRC operator on the /who lists. I'm honestly not familiar not with non-CR servers in that respect, but similar options probably exist for unreal, etc.
Having said that, the operscan things do sometimes work. MTS-compliant scripts are purportedly able to color IRCops automatically - presuming they're not cloaking themselves.
