"Recently, we used your tracking device to track a potential target. We succesfully tracked our target and we were able to arrest him and his crew in possession of two (2) loads of lighting product valued at $877,000.00.
This arrest led us to the recovery of approximately ten (10) additional loads, valued at approximately $500,000.00. The investigation is ongoing and we are planning to use this same tracking device on additional targets associated with the suspect we arrested."
-- Officer with Cargo Cats
___________________________
"We used the PT200 to track a trailer of stolen beer; we were able to make two arrests and recover $24,000.00 in product. "
-- Officer with Illinois State Police MidWest Cargo Theft Initiative
___________________________
"Due to cargo theft suspects being well trained in counter-surveillance techniques, a tracker is a crucial and necessary tool when attempting to conduct a successful surveillance and investigation. Without the use of the tracker we would have had a much tougher time locating or possibly never have located the suspect’s warehouse."
-- Officer with Cargo Theft Interdiction Program (North)
___________________________
[Covert tracking] has become a vital tool for us; it has many uses from surveillance to security of evidence in storage. The PT2000 works great has not failed in any application it has been used in. Its size makes capable of several applications including vehicles, persons and cargo.
-- Officer with the New Jersey FBI
Protecting the lives of law enforcement officers is now another benefit of using FSN technology. Law enforcement agencies and task forces are using FSN covert tracking devices inside our convenient ‘Slap & Track’ case to monitor the movements of suspects’ vehicles during investigations. These suspects are often dangerous, involved in such crimes as drug trafficking or robbery, and carry weapons. If a suspect discovers an officer installing a tracking device on his vehicle, he will likely not hesitate to use his weapon.
When the lives of law enforcement officers are at stake, seconds count. Deploying covert tracking devices on suspect vehicles can be dangerous—especially when the officer must stealthily apply the device while the vehicle is parked within just feet of a suspect’s domicile. Under these conditions, officers must be able to calmly and coolly install the tracking device in just seconds.
Competing devices can take several minutes to install because of various components that cannot be touching (battery pack, GPS unit, GPS antenna, cellphone antenna), and antennas that must be positioned to face certain ways to obtain a signal. Every minute that it takes to install the device exposes the officer to risk of discovery, and violent retaliation.
With FSN’s covert tracking device placed inside our small, discrete ‘Slap & Track’ case, officers can simply stick the case on anything metal under the vehicle’s frame. Officers say they can apply our ‘Slap & Track’ case discretely in just under 5 seconds. FSN’s ‘Slap & Track’ case enables officers to deploy tracking devices anywhere at any time—even during the middle of the afternoon in a crowded parking lot. Once deployed, officers can track suspects’ movements from FSNtracks’ convenient web-based console that can be accessed from any computer, anywhere, with secure login credentials.
“No one has discovered our tracking units to date. Never lost one. Never had one found by suspects,” says Mike Roever of The Greater Warren County Drug Task Force. “The signal FSN’s tracking device emits does not show up on cellphone trackers. And the ‘Slap & Track’ case blends in great with bottom of vehicle. It’s real easy to hide in just seconds.”
The ease of use of FSN, and low cost of our technology (roughly 1/10 of the competition), has made it possible for law enforcement to conduct covert tracking for a wide range of cases. Multi-jurisdictional drug task forces have been using FSN’s covert tracking technology to monitor the movements of suspected drug dealers. Other law enforcement agencies have used FSN to track robbery suspects, and conduct controlled deliveries of illegal substances. “Other agencies in the area know we have FSN,” says Roever, “They’re deployed all over the place. There’s a waiting list of users. They’re that effective.”
Since the covert tracking device must stay undiscovered on the vehicle for 2-3 days up to several months, officers must swap out the devices for newly recharged tracking devices. Officers use two units per investigation, deploying one unit while the other is being recharged. Before the battery on the deployed unit runs out, officers swap out units in a quick operation—remove the deployed unit, deploy the charged unit—and recharge the battery on the deployed unit back at the station. That way, officers ensure constant monitoring of vehicles.
Since FSN’s covert tracking technology and ‘Slap & Track’ case is so effective for covert investigations, FreightWatch International (USA) was proud to sponsor covert cargo tracking technology for ten multi-jurisdictional Cargo Crime Task Forces across the United States for use in cargo theft sting operations and other initiatives to curb cargo theft. (More…)