Europol has exposed a new scheme based on crowdsourcing technology.
Bluetooth trackers that help you find lost keys or other personal items are also gaining popularity in the criminal world. According to Europol, the European Union's Police Service, Bluetooth tags have proven to be an extremely effective tool for monitoring contraband shipments.
Trackers transmit a signal that is picked up by their paired mobile devices-smartphones, tablets, and other gadgets. Their screen displays the exact coordinates of the placemark. The usual range of trackers is from 10 to 120 meters. To expand this area, manufacturers use crowdsourcing technology: any nearby mobile devices of the same brand can pick up the signal and transmit information about its source to the owner.
According to Europol, criminals most often use Bluetooth trackers to transport drugs. The devices were also used to search for vehicles involved in criminal operations and track vessels used to transport migrants illegally.
"The vast majority of cases are related to the smuggling of cocaine on a particularly large scale. These trackers were used to find shipments weighing more than 100 kg after delivery to ports and markets across the EU," Europol said.
Labels along with cocaine were most often found in food crates. In some cases, criminals disguised them in the holds of ships or in European warehouses.
It is unlikely that such trackers will be used over long distances, for example, in the open sea. GPS-based navigation systems are more suitable for this purpose. Combined use of GPS and Bluetooth is also possible. However, despite the limited range, Bluetooth trackers are cheaper, smaller in size, have a large battery life (up to 1-2 years) and are waterproof.
Bluetooth trackers that help you find lost keys or other personal items are also gaining popularity in the criminal world. According to Europol, the European Union's Police Service, Bluetooth tags have proven to be an extremely effective tool for monitoring contraband shipments.
Trackers transmit a signal that is picked up by their paired mobile devices-smartphones, tablets, and other gadgets. Their screen displays the exact coordinates of the placemark. The usual range of trackers is from 10 to 120 meters. To expand this area, manufacturers use crowdsourcing technology: any nearby mobile devices of the same brand can pick up the signal and transmit information about its source to the owner.
According to Europol, criminals most often use Bluetooth trackers to transport drugs. The devices were also used to search for vehicles involved in criminal operations and track vessels used to transport migrants illegally.
"The vast majority of cases are related to the smuggling of cocaine on a particularly large scale. These trackers were used to find shipments weighing more than 100 kg after delivery to ports and markets across the EU," Europol said.
Labels along with cocaine were most often found in food crates. In some cases, criminals disguised them in the holds of ships or in European warehouses.
It is unlikely that such trackers will be used over long distances, for example, in the open sea. GPS-based navigation systems are more suitable for this purpose. Combined use of GPS and Bluetooth is also possible. However, despite the limited range, Bluetooth trackers are cheaper, smaller in size, have a large battery life (up to 1-2 years) and are waterproof.
